A Far Better Place
by atonalremix
Summary: When Jeremy receives a letter from the Watchers' Council, he's not sure what to expect, but one thing's for certain: joining it sure beats sticking around Mystic Falls for another summer. Jeremy/Bonnie, implied Damon/Elena.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes**  
>The timeline for this fiction is a bit iffy! For Buffy, it takes place post-S7 (and pretty much ignores all comic canon). For TVD, it takes place in-between seasons 4 and 5. Beyond that, however, there's a lot of wiggle room - I've assumed that despite me ignoring all comic canon, it's 2014 in Buffy-verse, so Dawn IS older than she would've been in canon.<p>

**Disclaimer**  
>Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon, while The Vampire Diaries belongs to LJ Smith (and the lovely people over at the CW). I don't own them; I'm just borrowing the characters within for a story or two.<p>

* * *

><p>It had all started with one suspicious letter. Elena hadn't questioned the ornate penmanship, the Italian return address, or even the wax seal on the back of the envelope. She'd simply called, "Jeremy, letter! Looks like you're going to Junior Cotillion!"<p>

Jeremy had rushed down the stairs - because he seriously couldn't remember who'd want him as an escort - and stared at the envelope. Didn't Elena _remember_ her Cotillion? They didn't waste money on wax seals; their funds were better spent on catering and fancy banquet halls. He grabbed a kitchen knife and carefully broke the seal. Two pieces of paper fell out: a business card with two addresses (one Italian, one American) and an invitation.

_Mr. Gilbert,_

_We wish to request your presence at Round Robin on August 5th at 7:00 PM in order to discuss your potential future with us. Casual dress is permissible, though we request that you at least wear closed-toed shoes._

_To RSVP, please write back to Dawn Summers either through the enclosed American address or her email, dawniesummers ._

_Sincerely, the Watchers Council._

What the heck was the Watchers Council? Was it anything like the Founders Council? If so, Jeremy wasn't interested. He just wanted to survive his senior year of high school without dying for the 8th time. A guy could only handle death so many times, you know? His pain lessened with each visit to the Other Side, but he wasn't sure if the pain had decreased or if he'd learned to tolerate the numb sensation in his bones.

Elena just giggled, in that sickening way that reminded him more of Katherine than his own sister. "So who's the lucky girl?"

She hadn't even attempted to read over his shoulder like she used to. Figures. Jeremy almost missed it, in a way - and he never thought he'd long for the days where his sister wormed her way into almost every aspect of his social life.

"Dawn Summers," he said after a moment, instinctively turning his head to face her. "She's... she's uh, in my AP Government class. I guess she really wanted me to go with her?"

"Huh." Elena looked almost thoughtful. "I don't think I remember her, but make sure your corsage matches her dress, okay? I'd stick around, but Damon and I-"

"Go ahead." Jeremy shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. The effort surprised him. Every time she mentioned Damon - the stupid idiot who broke his neck - he couldn't ignore the blood rushing to his face. Even if Elena had forgiven the jerk, Jeremy wasn't sure he ever could. "I'll see you guys when you get back."

She stared at him uncertainly for a few seconds before nodding and leaving. She probably had to hunt or buy some blood bags or something equally disgusting that he didn't want to think about. He turned the letter over in his hands. The words didn't bode well: what if he walked straight into a trap?

As if on cue, Bonnie materialized beside him. "Looks suspicious."

"I know." He glanced up at her, unable to hide the slight curling of his lips. "Think I should blow them off?"

"Probably not." Bonnie casually rested a hand under her chin. Knowing her, she was weighing all the possibilities - whether it'd end in his death or the destruction of this town or both - and considering the relative safety of the letter. "They really asked you to email them back?"

"We live in the 21st century, Bon. Any other response would be faster." Sure, Ms. Summers had also enclosed a physical address, but an email would reach her much faster than anything through the post.

"Fair enough." She giggled, and in that moment, Jeremy almost - almost! - forgot that his girlfriend resided on the Other Side. She just seemed so alive that he forgot that he couldn't hug her like before.

"Just be sure to warn Caroline and the Sheriff before you go. I can't exactly protect you from here, but I can ask people on the Other Side about them."

He hadn't considered that possibility. "You sure? I don't know what kinds of things people would know about them."

"It's the least I can do." She smiled, stepping closer to him. They couldn't inhabit the same space - he wanted to kiss her so badly! - but she was still the most selfless person he'd ever met. How had he won the amazing girlfriend lottery, he'd never know.

Jeremy bowed his head, in an attempt to almost kiss her on the nose. "Thanks. I don't know if I'll go, but I'm kinda curious too. What exactly are they watching, anyhow?"

She shrugged. "Birds?"

He wished he could elbow her. "As if. I bet it's some kind of superhero mission control-type thing."

"You just want to play superhero."

No, he wanted to BE the superhero. He was tired of being baby Gilbert, of being someone that had to be compelled and protected for 'his own good.' For her sake, though, he managed an half-exasperated smile. "I guess we'll see in a week, huh?" In the meantime, maybe he could gather some background information and see just what political agendas they had. Surely someone in town had to know something.

* * *

><p>As it turns out, absolutely no one in Mystic Falls - including the dead supernaturals on the Other Side - had a clue about this new mysterious council. The Internet wasn't much better, considering it believed the Council was England's premiere bird-watching league. Now, Jeremy didn't exactly know his Ornithology, but he was certain that the Watchers' Council hadn't been established for the birds.<p>

("Ha!" Bonnie had crowed, laughing over Jeremy's shoulder. "I knew they loved their birds too much!" Why exactly did he like having a dead girlfriend again?)

August 5th, then, had come far, far too soon. Damon and Elena had gone on yet another whirlwind vacation, and Jeremy didn't care enough to question where they went. For God's sake, he (and Bonnie) were home alone. If he wanted to play _Kingdom Hearts_ for 5 hours, who was going to stop him?

As it turns out, Bonnie would.

Just when he was about to defeat Opposite Armor, she stood in front of the screen with her arms crossed. "Aren't you going to meet the Council?"

"Um, no?" He narrowed his eyes at her, holding up his PS3 controller in protest. "I've got a video game to finish."

"Yeah, one that you've defeated _twice_." She rolled her eyes at him. If she weren't dead, Jeremy half-suspected that she would've simply snatched the controller from her hands. "Come on, Jeremy. You might as well see what they want, right?"

He groaned inwardly. "You're only saying that because you're tired of Sora, Donald, and Goofy, aren't you?"

"Maybe."

He sighed, rising to his feet. "Fine." Defeating the armor with one last blow, he skipped the cutscene and saved before he reached for his house keys. "Caroline can't meet us there, but she said to just text her if anything weird happens."

Not even vampirism could stop Caroline's dedication to her social life. She'd made prior plans with her mother ("Mother daughter bonding!" she'd squealed to Jeremy. "I know it's weird, but come on, I'm not going to get this in two months!") and Jeremy didn't exactly feel like dissuading her from them. In retrospect, he almost wished he had had that kind of enthusiasm about the time he'd spent with his father. Dad would've accompanied him and given the Council members the cold shoulder, considering how much he hated vampires and all things supernatural.

Jeremy had briefly entertained the thought of sifting through Dad's old journals, but decided against it at the last moment. If Dad had been a member of the Watchers' Council, Jeremy would've known. Uncle John would've said something, and the Five would've pointed it out once or twice.

"You promise you will?" Bonnie stepped to the side, following him out the door. "I know you said you would, but..." She didn't need to finish her sentence. Jeremy already knew what she was implying: that saying something and doing something were two completely separate actions.

"I promise." He smiled at her warmly. "Plus you'll be there in spirit."

Her arm went straight through him. Jeremy stared - partially at the arm floating through him and partially at the realization that his girlfriend had tried to elbow him and he couldn't feel a thing. Dammit. He hated this burden, of being the only one who really knew what it felt like to love someone he could never touch.

She was also the only one who could witness his meeting. Everyone else was away for the summer: Tyler was helping a wolf pack in Tennessee; Matt and Rebekah had sent him a postcard from Prague; Damon and Elena had disappeared to who-cares-where-they-went; Stefan had mysteriously disappeared; and Bonnie was kind of dead. As much as he regretted the situation, he was the only one who could face them. Jeremy slowly nodded, inhaling sharply as he turned towards the door. If he didn't go, then he'd regret this for the rest of his life.

* * *

><p>The Round Robin was one of Mystic Falls' more recent establishments. In the 50s, the town had decided that it needed a central bookstore and coffee shop for the students. Although Jeremy preferred the Mystic Grille (partially because he worked there), he had to admit the Round Robin had a certain old-school charm. Bonnie frequented the place often in high school, and he'd often caught his classmates there, working on a school project late into the evening. Adults loved the place precisely because it refused to serve alcohol, but was also why the audience skewed particularly young. Jeremy had only stepped inside for textbooks, and maybe the occasional comic book. It wasn't exactly a high priority - until now.<p>

He hadn't written the Council back, so he didn't know who to expect. In Mystic Falls, however, a stranger couldn't go far. The second he walked through the front door, he noticed an adult woman sitting in one of the booths in the coffee shop. She didn't seem relatively tall - maybe Elena's height - but her thick, dusty book was impossible to ignore. The second she spotted Jeremy, her blue eyes lit up, and she waved enthusiastically at him.

"Jeremy!"

Bonnie shot him an amused smile. "Guess that's our lady. Go get her, tiger."

Jeremy snorted. "Sure you want me going on a date with someone else?"

"It's not a date if both parties don't think it is."

Jeremy inwardly sighed, before awkwardly waving back to the woman as he approached her. "Um, hi there." How did this woman know what he'd look like? Did she just look him up on the Internet or something? He knew he had photos of him out there, but he didn't think they were that easy to access.

He turned his gaze towards Bonnie, only to realize that she'd disappeared again. Figures. Maybe she had some juicy gossip on the Other Side that she couldn't ignore.

The woman took no notice of his erratic gaze. "I'm so glad you came. I was so afraid, since you didn't email us back, but-" She coughed, blushing slightly as she ducked her head. Jeremy almost found it cute. Almost, considering this woman was at least a good ten years older than him.

Yet he couldn't quite wipe the smile off his face. "I wasn't really sure if I'd come. Sorry."

"It's okay." She dismissed his apology with a wave, motioning for him to come sit across from her. "You wouldn't be the first person to not email us back. Jeez, I don't think I _ever_ heard back from the Swan girl..."

Before Jeremy could even ask who that was, she then slid a pamphlet his way. He sat down, staring at the glossy picture of an old Italian building, where the woman before him and another woman - her sister, maybe? - were smiling enthusiastically at the camera. At the top, the pamphlet read '_The Watchers' Council: We Support Our Slayers!_'

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Slayers...?"

"Yeah, you know." The woman took a sip of the tea in front of her. "Slayers. Like Vampire Slayers? Chosen Ones destined to kill vampires and all other things that go bump in the night?"

"Actually, I don't." Jeremy leaned back in his seat. So there was a whole group of people devoted to stamping out vampires - more than just the Five. He wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or worried. "The Council... supports these guys?"

"These _girls_," The woman patiently corrected him, "but yes. Primarily, the Watchers' Council acts as their Mission Control. We research demons; train them in weaponry; and generally make sure they don't accidentally kill the entire population of Cleveland."

"So where do I come in?"

"You're a member of the Five, right?" The woman didn't even miss a beat. "As one of the original vampire hunters, we'd really like you to come out and teach some of our girls how to use a bow and arrow. I know we can't exactly pay much, but hey, you'll be in Italy for a while, and we can make it look really good on your resume!"

Jeremy folded his arms. "How'd you even know? Did someone tell you?"

The woman giggled (rather annoyingly). "Word spreads around, Jeremy. I mean, come on, we're the Watchers' Council. We have to keep an eye on that kind of thing, especially since you're friends with the Ripper. Not Giles Ripper, because come on, but Stefan-Ripper."

They had to distinguish Rippers too? Just how much did he have in common with these guys? He sat up straighter. "How do I know you're not trying to kill me?"

"For starters, I haven't set you on fire yet."

He raised both eyebrows. "You can do that?"

"I-I'm working on it." She avoided his gaze, instead hiding herself behind the coffee mug. "I can't do it yet, okay? But my best friend Willow can! And um, I would've offered you coffee and put something in it or something!"

The more she talked, the less suspicious Jeremy felt. "Okay, so _you're_ not trying to kill me," he said with a small laugh. "How do I know the rest of the Council won't, miss...?"

"Dawn! Dawn Summers!" She smiled at him apologetically. "Sorry, I should've started with the introductions."

"Miss Summers, then." He returned the smile, though it was slightly strained. "No offense, but how can I be sure that the Council has my best interests in mind? The last time something like this came along, innocent people died."

Dawn sat up straighter, though the coffee didn't leave her hands. "I don't want to rope innocent people into this either. I may be the American head of the Council, but it's up to you to decide just how we can best serve you."

So she was in charge of the Council? Just for the US? "Who's the ringleader, if it's not you?"

"A good friend of mine." Dawn's voice turned almost wistful. "Giles is our head director, back in Italy, but I wanted to stay in the US and help the American Slayers out, so... here I am." She shrugged, taking another sip of her coffee. Despite her innocent demeanor, her eyes were much more solemn. She'd seen a lot - a lot more than someone her age should have.

Jeremy couldn't relax his guard, not when he wasn't sure about the company Dawn kept. "Oh. He didn't assign any bodyguards to you or anything?"

Dawn blinked. "I need those?"

"I don't know. I've come to expect the worst," he said, gesturing towards the rest of the store. If a Slayer popped out of the non-fiction section and tried to kill him, Jeremy wouldn't be surprised at this point. "You didn't bring a Slayer with you or something? For back-up?"

She shook her head. "I didn't think I needed to persuade you through brute force. I figured that if you were free during the summer - or even winter break! - you could train some of the girls in archery. You have experience, and they need to see that they're not the only ones capable of fighting demons off."

No one had ever tried to talk to him about these matters peacefully. Not in a while, anyhow. Jeremy couldn't remember the last time someone treated him as an equal either. None of this 'baby Gilbert' nonsense. None of this 'he's too young and innocent!' bullshit. Dawn sincerely wanted him abroad, and wouldn't hold it against him if he refused.

For the first time that day, Jeremy was speechless. He sat there, mulling over her words for a moment, before he carefully asked, "What if I'm an expert retired hunter? I'm not sure I want to jump back into the ring." Then he paused. "Should we be talking about this in public, anyways?"

Dawn shot him an amused look. "It's kind of an open secret here. Stefan and Damon think the entire town's oblivious, but trust me, I just had a long conversation with Mr. Sulez about the supernatural. If anyone in this town doesn't know, it has to be the newborns."

It was as if someone had stabbed him in the heart. Again. Jeremy stared at her, wide-eyed, unable to speak or even think. Everyone in this town... they... they all knew? And they hadn't said a word?

"To be fair, if I knew and I didn't have crazy supernatural powers, I'd pretend I didn't either. It'd keep me alive longer." When she said it like that, she had a point. Humans like Matt were almost canon fodder around these parts, especially if they got involved in vampire business. Playing dumb was a safe way to stay alive when rivalries went down.

After a long moment's hesitation, Jeremy finally rose to his feet and ordered a cappuccino. When he returned with his drink, he then asked, "You don't care that I can't go now?"

"Nope. I figured you'd be busy with your last year of high school, and I really don't want to get between you and your applications." Sympathy colored her face. "The competition's gotten a lot fiercer since I applied. Man, I'm just glad I can offer you a scholarship with your Council membership."

Wait. "A scholarship? What's the catch?"

"Um, you joining the Council...?" Dawn tilted her head to the side. "When you join, you're essentially saying that you want to protect a Slayer, so we enroll you in Oxford and you learn the supernatural alongside whatever you'd like to study. All you have to do is fill out an application for your regular degree, and we'll ensure you graduate on time.."

"And you'll pay for everything."

"Yep, as long as you promise to return the favor by guiding a Slayer."

They really wanted him to protect some innocent teenage girl and ensure her safety. Jeremy couldn't imagine himself in that position: not only would he have to watch out for himself, but also for some girl that he didn't know. The burden on her shoulders would almost be too much to bear. What if they didn't get along? What if he flunked out of Council exams?

The worry on his face must've been obvious, because Dawn simply pulled out another packet and slid it in his direction. "You don't have to give us an answer right away. Think about it and let us know by Christmas."

Rising to their feet, Dawn then tucked her thick leather-bound book into her backpack and waited for Jeremy at the door. "I'll be here for another day, before heading to Whitmore and checking up on some things. Thanks for meeting with me, Jeremy."

"It really wasn't a problem." He opened the door for her as they headed out. Dawn parted ways with him, walking towards the apothecary, while he went straight to his car.

Bonnie was waiting on his car hood. Sitting cross-legged, she mused, "She seemed nice enough."

Jeremy folded his arms. "You think she's the real deal?"

"I know she's the real deal." A slow, amused smile crossed Bonnie's lips. "Her older sister was the Slayer, until she activated the rest about a decade ago. I couldn't find much about the Watchers' Council, but I asked about Dawn today and... and they love her."

"They do?"

"Well, some love her, while others hate her because her sister killed them. Same difference, really."

Jeremy couldn't muffle his laughter. "Sounds about right. I don't know if I'll join them, though. What if they need me here in Mystic Falls?"

Bonnie shot him a look. "Then they should've considered it before leaving you here for the summer. If Matt and Rebekah get to have their whirlwind European tour, why can't you?"

When she put it that way, Jeremy found it hard to resist the Watchers' call. He stared at the pamphlet, opening it and leafing through it for real this time. Although it was an advertisement, Dawn - or whoever designed it - was incredibly thorough about the programs offered to potential members. If he joined their secret club, a whole new world of opportunity opened up to him. He wouldn't have to stay here. He wouldn't have to attend Whitmore next year as a double legacy.

He could set himself free and become a Watcher. By the time he finished training, maybe he could handle the burden of guarding a teenage girl. Maybe.

"Yeah, you're right," he said softly, ignoring the smile that crossed his face. "And hey, maybe you could tag along too."

"That would be nice," she admitted, though Jeremy wasn't sure if she was saying it genuinely or for politeness's sake. "It's your life, Jeremy. Live it how you want to." She then jumped off the hood and turned to leave.

Jeremy watched her walk away before he tucked his information away. He needed some time to process what he'd just learned - especially concerning the 'open secret' this town possessed. If they really knew about vampires and werewolves, then his secrets wouldn't stay secret for much longer.

* * *

><p>By the time Damon &amp; Elena had returned from their whirlwind vacation, Jeremy had already emailed Dawn with the good news - that he would tentatively join the Council on the condition that they allowed him to rein in the vampires in the Mystic Falls area.<p>

Dawn welcomed him with open arms - metaphorically, since they exchanged emails - and had already arranged for his plane ticket to Italy.

_I can't wait to introduce you to the girls! They'll be so excited! :)_

do you like tiramisu? you okay with a roommate? do we need to buy you a bow? let me know if i can make your traveling easier!

It took every ounce of Jeremy's strength not to laugh every time he received an email back from Dawn. While he loved his friends, there was just something about his new mentor that made her different from everyone he'd ever encountered in Mystic Falls. Maybe it was her candor and respect: she never outright lied to him, or treated him as if he were actually ten years younger than her.

Damon and Elena had walked through the front door, dumping their luggage on the ground as they entered. Jeremy glanced up from his computer, where he'd been typing up a reply to Dawn. "Had a nice time?"

"An amazing time," Elena nearly sang, running over to kiss him on the cheek. "Damon and I had a fantastic road trip up to DC."

"I'm glad." Not really, but a guy could fake it for as long as he had to. Jeremy made a motion to close his tab and- and Elena had already seen it.

She furrowed her brow at him. "She's talking about Italy? Jeez, Jeremy, just take her out for Italian before the dance. Damon knows a few good places-"

"Eh, they're decent," Damon called, already heading towards the kitchen. "Nothing to write home about. I'll go ahead and book a reservation. Those stupid things're in a couple of months, right?"

Sometimes those two just lived in their own delusional world. Jeremy resisted the urge to roll his eyes at him, no matter how much he wanted to. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

As Bonnie had pointed out, this was his seventh chance at life, and his seventh time to make things right. While he couldn't leave town now - not with these two constantly interfering in his plans - the next summer was approaching soon. He'd have a Slayer to guide, and girls to train, and an entire world opening up before his very eyes.

Maybe he wasn't quite going to Junior Cotillion, but hey. He was going to a far better place than he'd ever known before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

Hey guys! So it turns out that I can't quite let go of Watcher!Jeremy and his adventures in the Watchers' Council. I don't intend to write a whole lot about his life and his misadventures, but this bit just couldn't leave me alone, and so we have a bonus sequel chapter that I didn't expect!

This chapter takes place mid-S5 for TVD, and ten years post S7 for Buffy; however, it ignores all of Buffy's comic canon. Otherwise, feel free to assume whatever you like, re: timepoints! The future's a pretty fluid place, after all.

* * *

><p>Senior year couldn't have passed any slower. Jeremy swore, sometimes the days dragged on as if they were <em>years<em>. For the first time in his life, he didn't want to stop and sniff the roses. Not when he had a guaranteed job that could fulfill Dad's legacy. While Jeremy didn't exactly hate vampires, considering he was now related to one, he could live without them too.

The rumors had spread like wildfire across the Other Side. Some mornings, Jeremy could see Vicki and Anna loudly gossiping about it as if he couldn't see them. Other times, he'd notice Alaric shaking his head at him ("_I sure hope he knows what he's doing_") before disappearing into the scenery. While Jeremy didn't cherish his supernatural Sight, it kept his life interesting.

After Elena had left for Whitmore, Jeremy seized his chance and moved straight into Tyler's old guest room. Damon was his legal guardian for all intents and purposes - mostly because Stefan wasn't old enough - but Jeremy needed the space. The old guest room felt more like home than the Salvatore Manor ever had. As large and illustrious as the old boarding house was, Tyler's affection for him permeated the Lockwood estate. Until Damon no longer resided in the Salvatore Manor, Stefan couldn't provide much of a home for Jeremy.

Thankfully, Jeremy had quickly grown accustomed to his new home. Some evenings, he retreated to Tyler's den to finish assignments. Tonight, unfamiliar footsteps gave him pause. Glancing up from his essay, he bit his lower lip at the person in the doorway.

"Alaric?" Jeremy stared at him blankly. "What're you doing here?"

"Same reason you're thinking of me, I imagine," Alaric joked, casually stuffing his hands in his pockets as he approached. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder? Or maybe you just miss your dear ol' uncle too much."

Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. Jeremy should've figured. "Uh-huh."

"I missed you too, kid." Alaric sat down across from Jeremy, leaning forward to better see him. "So the grapevine tells me that you're joining the Watcher's Council."

"Right. I thought no one had heard of the Watcher's Council." Jeremy leaned back in his seat.

"Mostly because few live to tell the tale. Why give power to some dumb legend, you know?" Alaric had a point. If the Council succeeded in killing vampires - with the exception of those Pesky Originals - then why would any bother to confirm their location or their members? Still, something about the Council bothered Jeremy: namely, that his father knew of their existence.

"How come it wasn't mentioned in Dad's journal? The Council, I mean?"

Alaric shrugged. "If your dad knew, but never said so, I'd guess it was because he thought they were old stories." He looked almost thoughtful as he regarded Jeremy, "So how come you said yes? It doesn't seem like your kind of place."

Jeremy shrugged. "The head of the Council wanted me to join. I didn't feel like saying no."

"More like you think there's merit in leaving town." Alaric hummed, tapping his foot in rhythm to an imaginary beat. Why exactly did Jeremy like the ability to talk to the dead again? "I can't say I blame you. This town reeks of death."

Alaric then rose from the couch, turning to further inspect Jeremy's new room. Jeremy hadn't decorated much - hard to, when most of his belongings had burnt to the ground - but he had supplemented some of Tyler's old knickknacks with old family photos from the Lakehouse. Elena might've wanted to forget, but Jeremy? Jeremy wanted those physical remnants of what had once been.

Tyler and Matt had eagerly helped every step of the way, right down to the visits to the Lakehouse to gather old photos. He enjoyed their company more than Damon's. They never did judge him for talking to ghosts. ("You think you can tell Vick I said hi?" Matt would ask, as if every conversation was with Vicki. Jeremy never had the heart to tell him otherwise.)

After a moment, Alaric dared to ask, his fingers passing straight through an old photo of Jeremy and Elena, "Why aren't you with Elena? I didn't think I'd find you here, but after I saw the ruins of your home..."

Jeremy pressed his lips together. No matter how he answered this question - no matter how nicely he could coat those words - he would have to admit that Elena just wasn't his sister anymore. Somewhere along the road, his sister had morphed into a shadow of her former self. Katherine had humored him more than her lately. "That's... a good question," he said, staring down at his crossed legs. "'Cause she's at college, I guess."

"I've never seen her go to class." Alaric folded his arms, his smile growing more fond with each passing second. "Just be careful, okay? I care about you too."

(No wonder he missed Alaric so much. As irresponsible and dumb as Alaric could be, he was still the uncle that Jeremy had never had and yet so, so desperately wanted.)

"I will, I promise." Jeremy grinned at him cheekily. "Hey, you want to go to Italy with me? I think I can handle a hitchhiking ghost or two."

"Over Christmas, right? You don't want to spend it with the family?"

"What family?"

Alaric stared at him blankly. "Well, in that case... when in Rome?" He nearly reached out to ruffle Jeremy's hair. "Stay safe, and remember, the city wasn't built in a day."

If his uncle weren't a ghost, Jeremy might have just smacked him for that. Instead, he settled for a well-timed exasperated expression, gesturing wildly in the air before sighing and turning to leave his own room. The next time he invited his ghost step-uncle anywhere, he just hoped he'd think first before extending that invitation.

* * *

><p>About two and a half weeks later, Stefan had agreed to drive Jeremy to the airport. Every five seconds, he glanced back at Jeremy's large red suitcase with widened eyes and a slightly shaky demeanor. "You're really heading out, aren't you?"<p>

Jeremy couldn't blame his confusion: besides Alaric and Bonnie, no one else knew about the true nature of his trip. Elena thought he was pursuing an international study program, and Jeremy didn't have the energy to correct her. Thus, by extension, everyone else assumed that Jeremy had just been accepted into a short study exchange trip. The Watchers' Council hadn't been on anyone's radar: not Klaus's, not Katherine's, and especially not Stefan's and Damon's. Jeremy couldn't exactly afford to paint a moving target on himself, considering how often he had been kidnapped over the years.

"It's just for two weeks, man." Jeremy laughed softly, trying to reassure him with a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'll be back before you know it. You can handle the Delena trainwreck in the meantime, right?" Elena and Damon had wanted to see him off, but Elena had had a final. Damon had wandered off somewhere - and honestly? Jeremy didn't want to trek through the woods for someone who had already killed him twice.

Something in Stefan's eyes - amusement? - had twinkled, before disappearing completely. "You shouldn't call them that, Jer."

"Just telling it like it is." Jeremy pulled out his phone, checking his social media one last time before he entered the Richmond International Airport. "What do vampires eat for Christmas, anyhow? Super-rare, expensive blood?"

Stefan looked at him thoughtfully. "I ordered otter blood one year..."

Oh god. When Jeremy had made that joke, he hadn't expected a serious answer out of his sister's ex-boyfriend. "Spare me the details."

Stefan chuckled, struggling to keep his expression even as he parked on the curb. "Of course. Have a safe flight, and remember to buy a new SIM card when you land. Those roaming fees'll be a bitch otherwise."

Resisting the temptation to roll his eyes, Jeremy leaned in and gave Stefan a one-sided hug. "Sure. See you later." Just as he headed inside, Jeremy saw Alaric waving at him. Quickly, Jeremy approached him.

Alaric said, "You know what, kid? I figure you can tell me all about it when you get back."

Jeremy didn't want to press the matter, so he gave a noncommittal nod. "Sure. Keep an eye on everything for me?"

"_Now THAT I can do. See you later, kid._" Somehow, the nickname didn't sound so stupid rolling off Alaric's tongue. Jeremy didn't quite get it - maybe because it was infused with love (rather than condescension?) - but he wouldn't question the affection. Alaric turned, disappearing into thin air and leaving Jeremy to his own devices again. At least the plane rides would be (reasonably) quiet.

* * *

><p>So Jeremy hadn't been able to predict the crying children - or the obnoxious couple that wanted rare beer - but otherwise, the flights had been relatively painless. As he exited the terminal, he noticed Dawn and another woman waiting expectantly for him. Dawn's companion was much shorter than Dawn - even with heels! - with her blonde hair tied back in a messy ponytail. Despite her stature, she held herself confidently, and as Jeremy stared at her red leather jacket, he knew better than to cross her path.<p>

As he approached, Jeremy noted the two women had similar facial features too, and they even shared the same laugh, as they leaned in conspiratorially over some joke.

Dawn hugged him first. "Jeremy! Hey! It's so good to see you again!" Letting him go, she then gestured to her companion. "This is my sister Buffy. Buff, this is the guy I told you about. Jeremy Gilbert?"

She didn't call him a kid. She had all the reason in the world to, considering she and her sister were a good ten years older. Jeremy relaxed his guard unintentionally, letting his shoulders sag as he glanced down at Buffy.

"It's nice to meet you, Jeremy." Buffy hugged him quickly before turning her attention towards the baggage claim. "I hope your flight was okay?"

"Yeah, it was fine." The trip to Italy hadn't been his first time out of the country. When he and Elena were younger, Mom and Dad had dragged them to Canada to see the Alps - and at the time, Jeremy had been fascinated with the scenery. It was absolutely nothing like the Appalachians. "Thanks for coming out to meet me."

Wait. If Dawn said her older sister was the Slayer, and he was standing right next to her older sister... "Dawn, do you have any other siblings?"

"Nope, just the one." Dawn smiled brilliantly, with a twinkle in her eye as she placed her hands behind her back. "Most of us Scoobies are only children, actually."

"Scoobies...?"

"What we called our group of friends in high school," Buffy clarified for him, peering out over the luggage as it descended onto the conveyer belt. "Tell me when you see your bags, Jer."

Jeremy gave Dawn a mystified stare. "Like Scooby Doo Scoobies?"

Dawn nodded. "I think so, yeah."

Quickly, Jeremy gestured to his red suitcase with double green tags when it descended onto the belt. Buffy beat him to the luggage, effortlessly pulling it off. "That it?"

"Uh, yeah."

Dawn hadn't been kidding about her sister's powers, if they allowed her to lug 50 pounds as if it weighed nothing. "You really didn't have to," Jeremy protested weakly, unsuccessfully reaching for his bag.

"I know. I just liked seeing the look on your face." Buffy laughed, not unkindly, as she heaved the bag into the trunk. "That never gets old."

If the other Slayers were as... gung-ho... about their abilities as Buffy, then this might be one incredibly long winter break. Maybe these Potentials wouldn't need his expertise so much as a stabilizing influence - and if that were the case, he had to wonder, just what kind of crazy world did they live in, if _he_ was the normal one?

* * *

><p>After dinner with some Potentials and a long rest, the next morning would be brutal. Rest didn't come without a price tag, Jeremy knew: after Buffy had made him some infamous Summers Family Pancakes, she also dumped a stack of books beside him. With titles like '<em>A Guide to American Vampires<em>' and '_Doppelgangers and You_', Jeremy half-wondered if they'd accidentally bought the entire comedy section.

"There anything about spirit mediums?" Jeremy asked, plopping half a strawberry into his mouth as he scanned the titles. "Or is it strictly vampires, werewolves, doppelganger-type stuff?"

"I'm impressed," Buffy called. "You didn't even blink an eye." Kind of hard to be surprised, when these books had comprised the past two years of his life.

He shrugged nonchalantly. As he reached for more pancakes, another woman passed through the door and waved shyly at them. She was about the same height as Buffy - maybe 5' at best - but with long red hair that was neatly tied up in a ponytail. As she walked, Jeremy could hear the slight clank of her metal bracelets, and despite her calm body language, an inner strength radiated from her so fiercely that he wouldn't dare to cross her path.

"That's Dawnie's new recruit, right?" She asked Buffy, reaching over to grab a cup of tea. "I gotta say, Buff, I didn't think we'd keep recruiting high-schoolers."

"I guess the world just wants us to keep going for teenagers with attitude." Buffy poured herself another mug, pushing the books slightly so that she and her friend could see Jeremy better. "Besides, Dawn says he's got enough experience, and that counts for something in my book."

"Guess so." The woman smiled fondly at him, taking a sip of her tea before adding some sugar. "I'm Willow, by the way. Sorry I wasn't around last night - I had to go run a favor for my friend Xander. You'll probably meet him later, if you're sticking around the next two weeks."

The name sounded familiar enough. Jeremy had heard it pop up in conversation last night from the other girls - male companionship was hard to come by in HQ, from what he gathered. Any time a guy stepped through those double doors, he was immediately scrutinized. In his case, some of them had even deemed him the "hot trainee." And he was supposed to protect these kids? Most of them were his age!

"It's really okay." Jeremy laughed softly, finishing off his plate. "I got the sleep I needed and Dawn got to show me to my room, so all's well that ends well."

"If you're sure! Let us know if we can do anything to make it more comfortable," Willow said, blowing on her tea. "This can be a lot to take in, and you're not exactly a Slayer, so this might be all brand-new."

"Not really." Jeremy tilted his head slightly. "Mystic Falls wasn't a Hellmouth like Sunnydale - even though it should've been, because weird stuff happened at least once a week. I know my experiences haven't been normal, but around here, I'm not the only one who's dated a vampire."

Buffy's face grew a faint red. "Not really, no."

"Exactly." Jeremy didn't exactly get Buffy's embarrassment, but he'd let it slide for now. "I think I can handle it just fine."

"Huh." Willow whistled softly. "I've gotta say, then, Dawnie really knows how to pick 'em. Guess we'd better grab all those teenagers with attitude fast!"

"Teenagers with attitude...?" Jeremy gave Buffy a confused stare.

"Inside joke. Don't mind her," Buffy explained, dismissing his worry with a wave of her hand as she started to do the dishes. "If you're free now, you could head outside. Some of the younger Slayers are out practicing."

Jeremy stared down at his finished plate. They were technically paying him to train these young women, so he might as well deliver on that promise. So he finished up and headed to the back courtyard. Thankfully, the entire area had already been set up with his weapons and various targets for the girls to practice with. Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the various bows and arrows. Good, he didn't have to set the range up himself. Setting his books down, he grabbed a bow and arrow and turned towards the nearby Slayers.

They were a group of about five young girls - about high school freshmen - intently focused on creating daisy crowns from the flowers, twisting the stems with such precision that they could've been professionals in another life.

"Hey!" He called to them, immediately bracing himself for a potential surprise attack. "You guys ready to train?"

They nodded, snapping to attention and rushing to the weapons near him. Jeremy had only just brought them to the first target, intending to teach each one the proper stance and let them get a feel for their bow, when the first girl confidently held her weapon and shot straight into the bullseye.

Jeremy whistled softly. "Why did y'all need me again?"

"Because you're cute?" The girl helpfully offered up, only for her best friend to elbow her. "Ow! Sally, you know what I meant!"

Stifling a laugh, Jeremy put both hands on his hips and surveyed the clearing. In the countryside, they had enough room to hit a moving target without much suspicion (except maybe from prying tourists). "Then you're ready to move up to the next level."

"Next level?" The best friend - Sally? - asked eagerly. "Does that mean we're not stuck out here?"

"Not quite." Jeremy ran back to his backpack and started to rummage through it. He didn't exactly want the girls to hit living, breathing, moving targets - but something inanimate might work. Bonnie hadn't been able to charm anything for him since she came back to life, but he might have a thing or two that could do the trick.

He had a couple of apples, a mechanical Quidditch toy, and not much else.

To the girls, he called, "Is Willow around?"

They shook their heads. "Buffy needed her for something," Sally helpfully answered. "She should be back this evening."

"Hm." He weighed the apples in his hands. "How do you feel about moving targets?"

"I'd say you should hold off on that," an unfamiliar voice called, approaching them cautiously. "Girls, can you give us a minute? Show Jeremy you can hit the dummies on the other side of the field."

The girls nodded, scurrying off to the other side with their chosen weapons. Jeremy turned to face the newcomer, squinting a little from the bright sunlight overhead.

The stranger was roughly Jeremy's height, with warm blue eyes that crinkled at the edges and a comfortable stance. In his left hand, he held a dagger tightly. Judging from the dirt on his jeans and the slight fray of his sweater, the guy had been busy fighting something or another.

"Guess so," Jeremy said, nodding in acknowledgement at the other guy. "I'm Jeremy, by the way. You are...?"

"Connor." He grinned, approaching Jeremy. "I'm Dawn's fiance?"

"Nice to meet you." Jeremy reached out for Connor's free hand and shook it. "I don't think Dawn mentioned you, but it's great to have another guy around."

"Huh." Connor blinked back surprise. "I guess she's been busy. I swear, parenthood's gonna be a breeze compared to this."

Parenthood...? He knew Dawn was a good ten years older than him, and he supposed a twenty-seven year old would want a life with children and a white picket fence. He just hadn't guessed that she and her boyfriend had been _planning_ it for a while.

Taking Jeremy's stunned silence for an answer, Connor let out a laugh. "Not right now! Man, you've should seen the look on your face."

"Oh!" Jeremy let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding. "Right, 'cause she's Head of the Watchers' Council and you're... doing..."

"I'm a philosophy professor," Connor elaborated. "After I finished up my undergrad at Stanford, I got my PhD and ever since, I've been helping Dawnie with her work."

There had to be more to this story. Considering Buffy and Dawn were mysteriously tight-lipped about their personal lives, Jeremy had to wonder how he and Dawn had met. Surely it wasn't at some regular singles' night or a college club or something normal people attended. No, the supernatural world connected them just as it had connected him and Bonnie.

"Right." Jeremy smiled at him nervously. "So what's up? You need me for something?"

Connor shrugged, putting his sword away. "Not exactly. I wanted to see you in person, since I've heard good things about you."

Again with the secondhand stories. Either they - Buffy, Connor, Dawn, Willow, and Xander - were all good friends, or Jeremy was just that extraordinary. For the sake of his ego, he hoped it was the former... even if the look on Damon's face would be priceless.

"Thanks?" Jeremy never figured out the polite answer. "Are you a Watcher too?"

Connor guffawed loudly, barely hiding his wide grin with his free hand. Once his laughter subsided, he managed to say, "God, no! Not even slightly! That's all Dawn's territory. I just... I help her out with recruits and vetting out people and the like."

He scrutinized Jeremy, raising his chin as he admitted, "I can see why she likes you. You're _normal_."

Yeah, compared to the rest of the people in this world! As a member of the Five, he had had his Normal card revoked a year ago. He couldn't pretend that he understood normal people, with their girl and school problems, nor could he quite pretend that he understood the rituals that governed the Watchers' Council. His feet was stuck precariously in each world, where he pretended that he struggled in school and where he pretended that he loved his sister the vampire.

Okay, so he still loved Elena. Or rather, he loved the shadow of his sister that called him on the phone once a week, just to remind him that she was alive.

In Italy, these crazy adults cared about him. Despite his scrutinizing, Connor had leaned over and lightly hugged Jeremy before motioning for the girls to return. Willow had brewed tea for him once training had ended, and Dawn and Buffy continued to cook for him as if he had always lived with him. Sure, he hadn't met Xander yet.

Somehow, Jeremy suspected as he stared at the portrait Willow had drawn, Xander would like him too. They shared the same (normal) sense of humor. In two weeks, he would return to Mystic Falls and act as if he had never found the Watchers' Council. Only in a foreign country would he have found the place where he truly, honestly belonged.

* * *

><p>After a few days of intense training, Buffy and the others beckoned Jeremy into the den. The girls had marched up to their rooms, claiming exhaustion when everyone else knew they wanted to marathon <em>What Not to Wear<em>. They were gossiping about the latest episodes even as they slammed the doors behind them!

"They're teenage girls," Connor was patiently telling Dawn as Jeremy walked in. "Of course they'd want some downtime."

"I wish they'd just be honest," Dawn had replied, pouting slightly as she tapped her notebook. "I don't care about the downtime, you know? I'd schedule movie nights if they asked!"

If he didn't say something soon, Dawn and Connor would potentially debate about this for hours. Jeremy coughed loudly, stepping to the front and bracing himself for any potential reprimanding.

Instead, Buffy rolled her eyes, motioning for him to take a seat. "Hey, Jer. Training went okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Ever since Willow enchanted the furniture, I've been getting them to think about moving targets." Jeremy gave Willow a nod of acknowledgement as he sat across from them, leaning slightly against his seat. "Thanks for that, by the way."

"No problem!" Willow grinned, taking another sip of her tea. "Glad I could help."

"Good, good," Buffy said, leaning forward to look at him better. "So I was wondering... how would you feel about staying in the US for college?"

Jeremy blinked. "Okay?" The Council had promised him a scholarship in Oxford, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If they wanted him to study in the US, they had to have their reasons. "Where would I go?"

"The same place your Slayer would be."

He stared at her blankly. "Uh..."

Connor leapt in to explain, "We think you'd be perfect for one of our newer Slayers. You see, you're actually from the US, you're around her age, and you wouldn't be a full-fledged Watcher so much as... her conscience?"

As long as her death wouldn't be his burden to bear. Jeremy had lost enough people without adding another girl to the list. He heaved a breath, avoiding their piercing gazes. "Are... are you sure about that?"

"Yeah." Dawn nodded, pulling out a guidebook from her satchel. "We'd continue your training in the US. Our HQ's not far from your location, and Connor's already signed up as your faculty adviser."

Which led Jeremy to ask, "So uh... where are you sending me?"

Buffy pulled out a brochure - one Jeremy recognized all too well from the singular hotel in town - and waved it proudly at him. "Your hometown!"

They had to be kidding. They pulled him all the way to Italy, to train teenage girls in the art of war, only to shuffle him back to Mystic Falls and train someone he went to school with? What kind of sick joke was this? Couldn't they get-

"She only trusts people she knows," Willow explained, calmly placing a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "We sent Connor there a year ago, but she wouldn't have any of it. She called him insane and almost killed the poor guy in the process."

(Why hadn't that made the local news? Oh, right: Jeremy was too busy dealing with stupid Damon and stupid Damon's bad life decisions.)

"The girl specifically wanted someone normal," Buffy added helpfully. "We figured, Mystic Falls isn't a big place, and you said you wanted to stay back and tie up some loose ends."

Theoretically, he should go back and break up with Bonnie. Even though she was the Anchor - the one that kept the Other Side upright - he couldn't support her and train a Slayer at the same time. Not without the guilt gnawing at his heart. He stared down at his hands and turned them over. They had offered him the chance of a lifetime, to guide a girl and help her navigate the roughest sea of high school, but his heart just wasn't as interested. In another country, he could escape his family and the Salvatores' toxic influence. In Mystic Falls, he was right back where he started.

His melancholy must've been obvious, because Connor wandered over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it won't be for long. Just until your training's complete, and then we can station you elsewhere."

"I guess." Jeremy chewed on his lower lip. "What's her name?"

"Meredith Sulez," said Dawn, holding up her file. "You'll meet her after the New Year. Connor's taking a year-long position at Whitmore, to help you adjust to your first year on the Council."

What, no fancy hazing ritual? They just dumped him straight into the water without a life vest?

Only a madman would accept this job, and only a madman would think that this life - that these people - were worth risking everything he had ever known. Yet Jeremy didn't hesitate.

"Okay," he said with a wide grin. "Let's do this thing."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note **

While I'll try to be canon-compliant where possible, this has long since veered into AU territory! This chapter occurs in mid-January 2012 (so we're still in mid S5), so Jeremy's dealing with his senior year of high school; training with his baby Slayer; AND the canon doppelganger drama that's been brewing in the background.

Additionally, Meredith Sulez is lifted from the TVD books (and is most certainly not Meredith Fell). She's slightly different from her book counterpart – mostly because she didn't grow up with Elena & company – and well, if you didn't read the books, that's cool too! Jeremy's on a steep learning curve with her anyhow. (I am so glad that y'all are enjoying this, btw! Your reviews, favs, and follows have not gone unnoticed.) I have noticed some canon incongruities in past chapters (see: Uncle John and Jeremy's lack of suspicion), and I'll address those in future installments if they ever come to mind. In the meantime, thanks for sticking around, and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

* * *

><p><strong>A Far Better Place <strong>

Meredith Sulez, according to Jeremy's file, was a fifteen year old girl at Mystic Falls High who had first tapped into her powers after one very unfortunate incident with the slushie machine. (To be fair, that piece of junk had it coming. Jeremy had witnessed the damn incident, and even he had thought that she was extracting revenge on the slowest machine in town.) Off the record, Jeremy had known her almost his entire life. In a town of roughly six thousand people, everyone knew everyone – avoiding someone was impossible, save for dying or leaving town.

He wouldn't have pictured her as a Slayer. He could still see her running after him and April, with her dark, midnight-black hair tied messily in one long ponytail as she eagerly held up her archery bow and arrow. Over the years, they had lost their connection, with Mere rediscovering her Latina heritage and Jeremy burying himself into the supernatural drama that had been woven into the fabric of their town. As the Sulezes weren't a Founding Family, they hadn't been privy to the truth of Mystic Falls – a truth, Jeremy bitterly realized, that would've helped Meredith hone her powers in the first place.

As Jeremy and Connor drove into town, Jeremy lazily glanced out the window at the town's entrance sign (Mystic Falls, population 6,293).

"Sorry that you have to come back home, after all this," Connor had said, stopping the car just before the Grille's entrance. "I know you were really looking forward to England."

"Life happens." Jeremy smiled thinly as he climbed out and headed inside. Although he no longer worked at the Grille (high school was thoroughly kicking his ass, and Dawn was giving him a salary for his Watchers' Council work), he felt some indebted loyalty to the place. That, and they made the best burgers in the entire state. "Sorry that _you're_ stuck with my sister and her friends at Whitmore."

"She can't be that bad," Connor protested, following Jeremy inside and towards Jeremy's usual booth.

Jeremy shook his head in slight disbelief. "I say this with as much love as possible, but for your sake, I really hope she doesn't take philosophy this semester."

Speaking of philosophy… Connor still hadn't divulged most of his life's story, beyond what Jeremy needed to know for his mission. Sometime ago, Connor and Dawn had met, fallen desperately in love, and rebuilt the Watchers' Council together. He had alluded to crazy college years in Stanford, along with several bloodbaths he had survived, but the early years? His childhood? Not a single word had escaped his mentor's lips, and the desperation was driving Jeremy insane.

Ordering his usual, Jeremy slipped the menu into his mentor's hands. "When're we meeting Mere?"

"Right now, actually." Connor leaned back in his seat, casually perusing the menu as the door opened again. "I called her parents and said you'd be tutoring her after school."

"In _what_? I almost failed APUSH!"

"APUSH….?"

"AP US History," Jeremy clarified, thanking their waiter with a nod as he got a glass of water. "My parents died my sophomore year, so my grades were shit for half the semester."

Connor's expression softened considerably. Once Connor's order was taken and the waiter had scurried off to another table, he said almost inaudibly, "I'm sure we'll figure out a subject. A school-related one, since her duties are a given."

US History wasn't even an option for Jeremy. Without Alaric, Jeremy would've failed the class. What was Mere weak in, anyhow? Algebra?

He could hear her sneakers squeak against the wooden floor far before he saw her standing before their booth. She smiled thinly, with her long hair tied up in a ponytail that occasionally brushed against her silver earrings. "Jeremy?"

"Mere!" Jeremy leapt to his feet, reaching over to hug her. "Hey, it's been forever."

"It really has," she said softly, resting her head on his shoulders. She had grown considerably taller since they'd last met – in fact, she was tall enough that she nearly matched him in height. Where had the time gone? As they let go, Meredith scrunched up her nose at Connor. "Why is _he _here? Jer, do you know this lunatic?"

This had to be some kind of record. Not even five minutes in, he had to defend his new mentor from the willow-y Slayer (and old childhood friend) standing before him. Jeremy shrugged guiltily. "Kind of. Professor Summers has been, uh, helping me with some legal stuff…"

Meredith sighed remorsefully, folding her arms as she hovered near him. "If you lay a single finger on him, Professor—"

"Which he won't," Jeremy said hurriedly, jumping to stand between Meredith and Connor. "Because we're actually here to talk about your tutoring?"

Meredith furrowed her brow at them. "My… what?"

"You know, some after-school lessons? To brush up on your…" Jeremy gestured towards the silver cross dangling from her neck, right as he started to pull out the stake hidden in his jeans pocket. While the cross didn't deter the local vampires – the Star of David worked a hell of a lot better (strangely enough) – it held an unshakeable aura of protection.

A wave of understanding washed over Meredith's face for half a second before she scooted into the booth next to Jeremy. "I was _wondering_ why my parents insisted on a tutor. I figured it was for the PSAT or something, not… this."

Even then, Meredith was a smart cookie. She didn't exactly need extra tutoring to accomplish whatever she desired.

Connor leaned forward, pulling out a new leather notebook. "Jeremy here'll act as your Watcher for the next five months. You attend the same school, so it'll be relatively easy for him to keep an eye on you while we get stuff sorted."

"Jeremy? Really?" Meredith raised an eyebrow. "I don't buy it. Jer couldn't hurt a fly."

Jeremy inwardly groaned, right as Connor stifled a laugh (and failed completely to hide the grin that stretched across his face). Lightly, Connor said, "You might want to re-think that, Sulez. He's got a mean right hook."

She hummed softly, scrutinizing him as if he were a fruit fly under her microscope. After a few seconds of awkward silence, mitigated only by the chatter of the Grille, Meredith groaned. "Wait, you mean you're assigning me to _a white guy_?"

Connor winced. "It's not exactly like we had—"

"Don't give me that BS," she growled, reaching over the table to poke Connor's chest. "I may know Jeremy from way back, but he's whiter than white. He can't be a decent mentor for me."

(What did race have to do with this again? Wasn't vampire slaying a multiethnic thing? Jeremy awkwardly squirmed, trying to recall something Bonnie had told him a few months ago. She had grown quieter over the past month, actually – whenever he questioned her, she had just waved it off with a simple, "You're white. You wouldn't get it.")

Maybe… maybe he couldn't relate because he wasn't Latino? If that were the case, they should've pulled one of the other guys – or girls! - from the Council. Sarah Fox was black: she could've related to Meredith's issues more than he could.

Connor, on the other hand, stared down at Meredith before he pinched the bridge of his nose. "We can't fulfill all of your criteria, Sulez. Look, we can get you someone else, but they wouldn't be from around here – and Jeremy's not exactly on speaking terms with his sister anyways."

"He's not?" Meredith's tone grew softer as she dared to say, "How come?"

"My legal guardian might've killed me once or twice." Jeremy rolled his eyes, leaning forward on the table and downing his glass of water in one gulp. Damon had long since been a thorn in his side – and no matter what that jerkass did, Jeremy wasn't certain he could forgive him. Not even if Damon had suddenly found the light and became pals with Jesus or Buddha or whatever gods were out there in the world.

Connor sat up straighter. "Twice?"

"Twice." Jeremy resisted the urge to groan. "I've really gotta move out of my current place, even if he's technically my—"

"I'll put in the paperwork tonight," Connor said firmly, his eyes hardening as he pulled out his smartphone. "Even if that means I have to stake him myself."

Meredith glanced between them for what felt like forever, her brow furrowing further with each increasing second. "Wait, so Jeremy's legal guardian is…"

"Yeeeeeep." Jeremy grimaced.

He could've started their reunion any other way – by asking her about high school, about her school clubs (Model UN, Debate Club, and Spanish) or even about her newfound obsession with high fantasy novels. The possibilities were almost endless, and he could've inquired about anything! Except, he had done the opposite, and revealed more than he had intended to.

Slowly, Meredith released her breath. "Wow. I'm… I had no idea, Jer."

He shrugged. "Not your fault."

Her powers had only manifested last year, after all, and they hadn't been on close terms, let alone aware of each other's struggles enough to mention the truth. Last year, he was a member of the Five; last year, he had died. Again. (God, what was going to bring him back from the brink next time? A Lazarus Pit? Because last he checked, he wasn't a superhero.)

"Still. I… I guess I could deal with you as a Watcher for a bit. Until you find someone more suitable," Meredith said, with an air of finality as she flagged the waiter over to take her order.

Once her order was straightened – and the waiter brought fries and ketchup to their table – Jeremy reached over lazily for one. "You sure? I've been told I'm kinda crazy."

"Only because no one wants to deal with the supernatural," Meredith pointed out. "In this town, it's better to live in denial than to accept the truth."

She had a fair – but harsh – point. In Mystic Falls, keeping your head low and your ambitions out of sight kept you alive. Unless you were a member of a Founding Family, vampire hunting usually didn't end well for you. Meredith must've known that better than anyone, especially since their vampires were a different sort of breed than the variety Buffy and the Slayers usually defeated.

While Connor fiddled with the legal paperwork, Jeremy said, "So, uh, are you ready to deal with it?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Meredith skimmed through the notebook Connor had given her. It was filled to the brim with notes on vampires – the Mystic Falls variety and the Sunnydale variety – as well as on other supernatural creatures, including spirit mediums (go representation!), witches, werewolves, and even demons. "Though seriously? You actually like Crazy McCrazy?"

Connor scowled. "You were the one who tried to kill me, need I remind you?"

"Yeah, because you nearly threw a _car_ at me."

Jeremy stared blankly at them. (He kind of wanted the full story too, because really? Connor had super-strength? It seemed hypocritical, considering he helped run the organization dedicated to killing every vampire in sight.) "You… what?"

"Comes with the territory of a vampire dad," Connor said with a sigh, burying his face in his hands. "You get all the super fun powers that don't always control themselves."

Was that even possible? It had to be, because Connor was sitting right in front of him, but… a vampire father? It sounded like something straight out of those trashy novels Caroline loved so much. Vampire falls in love with human; vampire and human have mad, passionate sex; vampire and human somehow have half-vampire hybrid? Jeremy was certain that he was gawking at this point. No _wonder_ Connor rarely discussed his past.

If it was scattered with stories of a vampire parent – and not a parent who was turned afterwards – then it must've been one hell of a childhood, one that Connor wasn't keen on re-living through stories. No wonder Connor had insisted upon hearing of Jeremy's uneventful childhood, right down to the summers at the Lakehouse. ("No, seriously, they're super boring," Jeremy had prefaced, recounting the hours where Mom had taught him how to swim. "I don't know why you'd be interested.") Boring, in this circle, was the ultimate standard.

Thankfully, their food was delivered before awkward silence threatened to take over their whole table. As Jeremy picked at his burger, he couldn't help glancing over at Meredith – at the girl that he was supposed to protect with all of his heart.

She was only fifteen years old. Sure, Jeremy was fifteen when Vicki died and his world subsequently collapsed upon itself, but she didn't deserve a future filled with blood stains and eternal violence. No one did.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't stake you," Meredith said, grabbing a handful of fries.

"I'm paying for dinner," Connor teased, pouring ketchup on his plate.

Meredith rolled her eyes at him. "That's just you being polite."

"It's a good enough reason for me," Jeremy pointed out. "Plus, I don't think you can actually stake him, if he's half-human or something."

Connor nearly choked on his soda.

Thoughtfully, Meredith tapped her chin. "I guess not, huh."

After they had savored their last bites and tipped their waiter, Jeremy and Connor escorted Meredith home.

"So how is this going to work? Is Jeremy like, a junior Watcher who reports to you or…?"

Good question. Jeremy glanced over at Connor instinctively.

"Kind of." Connor kept his eyes on the road, driving at a brisk pace to get her home at a decent time. "Jeremy can call on me anytime, but he's your main guy. You'll rely on him far more than me."

"Good." Meredith triumphantly sat straighter in her seat, though her gaze didn't leave Connor. "I won't be seeing much of you, I hope."

Jeremy snorted, despite his best attempts to rein his amusement in. "If all goes well, you mean."

Considering this was Mystic Falls, home to at least four vampires, one vampire-werewolf hybrid, and one kickass Anchor, peaceful moments would be far and few between. Jeremy would settle for the world ending about once a week – on Thursdays, maybe? If they attacked on Thursdays, he could kick butt and still enjoy the weekend.

Stopping the car outside Meredith's house, Connor said, "Nice talking to you, Sulez."

"Wish I could say the same, Summers," Meredith replied, waving half-heartedly at him as she climbed out and towards her back door.

Once she had disappeared inside, Jeremy released his breath. "She really doesn't like you, huh? What did you even _do_ to accomplish that?"

"Hell if I know." Connor's neutral expression suggested otherwise – and wisely, Jeremy decided not to pry further. This wasn't a story that was meant to be told in one sitting, he suspected. Not with the way these two were acting around each other. "In the meantime, you're staying with me. Can't have your legal guardian trying to kill you."

"You really don't have to—"

"Trust me, Jer, it's for the best. If not me, then with someone else. Do you have any other friends that you could spend the night with?"

Matt and Tyler, maybe. The Lockwood Estate had several guest rooms; he could hole up there and finish his senior year with as little problems as possible. The better question would be, would those two be alright with him tagging along?

"I can ask around later," Jeremy said finally, sinking a little in his seat as Connor sped off towards Whitmore. Since his mentor clearly wasn't taking no for an answer, there was little else Jeremy could do – save for jump out of this moving car. "Thank you, Connor."

Connor gave him a slightly stupefied smile. "For what? This is the least I could do."

Considering all he had suffered these past couple of years, 'least' seemed pretty darn big to Jeremy. Yet, instead of voicing it, he leaned back and stared up at the starry sky above.

"Yeah," he said almost inaudibly, "I guess it is."

* * *

><p>As a senior, Jeremy was granted a certain privilege that was routinely denied to underclassmen. That is, he could commandeer classrooms to talk in secret to a certain Slayer. The library was no good (the nerds had taken it over for Cards Against Humanity), and ditto for the gym and the stoner's den. After a bit of reluctance and playing the dead parents card, Jeremy's English teacher had acquiesced and allowed him to talk to Meredith one-on-one. They sat in the back, on the green couch that was near the door, in relative silence for a few seconds as Jeremy checked his texts.<p>

"Are Watchers normally your age?" Meredith sat on the edge of the sofa, reaching for a copy of Beowulf and thumbing through it. "I mean, I thought they were old and married and with kids. Not…"

Not Connor's age, and most certainly not his age. Jeremy ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think so. Most of them graduated college already. I was an exception, for whatever reason."

"Because of me?"

The worry in her voice was almost cute. If it had been because of her, Connor still would've taken the reins (even if he didn't have the proper training). Jeremy stifled a laugh as he reached over and squeezed her hand. "Nah. I promise, it was for something else."

She doubtfully stared at him before returning her attention to the book. "If you say so. I, uh… I don't know how long I can train after school."

"I can't take you for long, either." Jeremy grimaced. "Homework's a bitch."

"You're supposed to have senioritis, though," Meredith said with a laugh, turning the page. "I think you can get away with ignoring your work."

"Not this late in the game. I've gotta keep my scholarship."

It wasn't technically a merit scholarship – though Dawn had dangled it in his face as if it were. Train the Slayer well without failing every class, and the free ride was his.

"Oh." Meredith wrinkled her nose, closing her book and rising to her feet as she assumed an offensive stance. Even without formal training, her Slayer powers had already guided her body into the proper form, instinctively telling her how to hold her fists. "Then we'd better get started."

* * *

><p>Jeremy had almost forgotten what bruises felt like. Even with armor and extra padding, Meredith's punches struck so hard that he was left with a resounding pain for hours at a time. No Hunter senses here to kickstart his healing process!<p>

Maybe next time, he mused as he pressed ice against a fresh bruise, he should ask her to go easy on him. Save the real punches for the vamps or something.

In-between training sessions, school, and numerous visits to Whitmore, his life had settled into some semblance of a routine. Connor occasionally dropped by to have dinner with him and Meredith, even sharing the occasional anecdote about his students. (Thankfully, neither Elena nor Caroline were among his pupils.)

"I don't know, your sister would've been a riot," Connor had said thoughtfully over some coffee, when Jeremy had brought the subject up. "From what I understand, her idea of vampire rights only works in a world where everyone acknowledges their existence."

"That's gonna take a while, considering we're still working on the race thing," Meredith murmured under her breath.

Jeremy and Connor exchanged nervous glances – they never really knew how to respond to her quirks – before hastily changing the subject. (The sooner this girl got a Watcher that clicked with her humor, the better.) Meredith always called them out on it, teasing that she loved her favorite _gringos_ for a reason.

"Love you too," Jeremy had always responded, his groan increasing with each mention.

After dropping Meredith off, Connor had given Jeremy a ride to Whitmore, ostensibly so that he could see Bonnie. In reality, Jeremy wanted to discuss their relationship – or well, ending what they had. He figured, if he was going to end their relationship, he had to do so quickly, before the entire world collapsed on them.

Except, of course, Bonnie had stared at him with those seductive green eyes of hers, and he found himself curled up close, entangling himself in her. _You still love her_, some small part of himself chided. _You're not going to end this relationship because it's the best damn thing that's ever happened to you._

Sometimes, Jeremy wished he could throw his brain out the window. It certainly wasn't helping him right now.

"Whitmore's got this big dance coming up," Bonnie was telling him, in-between sweet kisses. "I was thinking, you could come along, except not as my date?"

Now that sounded strange. Pulling away from her, he tugged his jacket on and followed her outside her dorm room. "How come?"

"Because that's how the Bitter Ball works. You come single, trying to get over your lost Lenore, and then bam! You find your new love—"

"So… we're going to a dance, but we can't show up together because you can't bring a date?" Jeremy snorted derisively. Just when he thought Whitmore had sunken to a new low, it found a way to exceed his (already low) expectations. What drugs were the student council on? They must've found something _fantastic_ to think this was the best idea of the winter season.

As Stefan had once famously said, maybe he had to be drunk to understand their logic.

Bonnie had casually shrugged at him. "Told you it was weird."

"Better idea: let's get another hotel room instead." Argh, he had come to break up with her, not passionately make love to her! Stupid mouth, talking far faster than his brain could keep up with him.

Right before Bonnie could open her mouth to argue, his phone buzzed. Jeremy groaned, pulling it out and skimming the text messages that Meredith had left for him:

**6:25 PM** – MY HOME EC EGG IS NOT A CHICKEN EGG. I REPEAT, IT IS NOT A CHICKEN EGG.

**6:27 PM** – what are mogwai weak to? Google was not very helpful :( direct sunlight won't be up for a while!

**6:28 PM** – nm, I got it! Trapped it with my candy bar and killed it with an ax. Did you know the library has a weapons collection?

The last text was accompanied by a picture of the mogwai, happily devouring on a bag of candy Meredith must've stolen from one of the teachers. Jeremy scratched his cheek – he had only been Meredith's adviser for a couple of weeks now, and she was off killing supernatural creatures without him? Some help he was.

Bonnie peered over his shoulder at his phone. "That's your Slayer?"

"Yeah, she's crazy resourceful." Jeremy whistled, tucking his phone into his blazer pocket. While he wasn't entirely honest with Bonnie about their relationship – she changed the subject every time he broached it – he had been forthright about Meredith, and how connected they would become. After Anna, he figured… He figured Bonnie deserved better communication.

He couldn't even hide his pride as he said in-between congratulatory texts to his little Slayer, "I can't believe she's killing mogwai already. I didn't even know we had those at home."

"Me either." Bonnie scrunched up her nose. "And since I'm not experiencing sudden stomach pain, they must be the exception to the Other Side rule."

In his haste to train Meredith, he had completely forgotten about her 'stipulation.' Jeremy stared down at his shoes, trying not to think about the vampires he had helped Meredith stake last week. It was entirely his fault that she was experiencing this pain –and man, his girlfriend was more important than some stupid soulless vampire. (They should've just let the idiot drive away into the sunrise.)

"I guess so," he said, wincing at her touch.

Bonnie pulled him close to her. "It's okay, Jer. You're doing super important work, and I'm just glad I can be there every step of the way."

She leaned in, standing on her tip-toes as he craned his head lower and—oh. Oh, okay, they were kissing in the middle of the hall. They were _kissing_, and he was nowhere near closer to breaking up with her.

When Damon interrupted their conversation, ostensibly to kidnap him (again?!), Jeremy could only wish that the jackass could've waited another five minutes. It was official – the second he got out of this, he was moving out, Tyler's and Matt's opinion be damned. The one time he wanted a deep, philosophical conversation with his girlfriend, it had to be marred by stupid Damon and his poor life choices.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes**  
>No lie, I didn't expect canon to semi-follow the route I had planned for this fic! I am pleasantly surprised (and as a result, I may have retconned chapter 2 so that Jeremy's talking to a certain step-uncle instead).<p>

Thanks to everyone's that stuck around for this so far, and I hope you enjoy this next installment! There will definitely be a Chapter Five – which may or may not be the end, so I appreciate your love and support. It's definitely meant a lot.

* * *

><p>Jeremy had finally settled into a (slightly) stable routine. After school, he would train with Meredith, while he would grab brunch with Connor on the weekend. Pieces of his old life crept into the fringes of his schedule: some nights, he ate with Matt and Tyler at Lockwood Manor. Only some, though, because they occupied a different world.<p>

Every time they ate together, his roommates would ramble about vampires, hybrids, and Damon's latest blunder, while Jeremy would smile and nod and finish too many bottles of cheap alcohol. Technically, he was part of their world. He was, for all intents and purposes, a spirit medium who communicated with dead people.

Difference was, his psychos weren't hellbent on ruining his life. He could ease the dead into finding peace, either ascending into Heaven or descending into Hell - he never asked for specifics. Every week, Tyler grumbled about various drama magnets like Katherine or Travelers, and every week, Jeremy would wonder why he ever came home. Meredith deserved a better town. Scratch that, they both deserved a better town. One where adults openly acknowledged the supernatural and one where stupid Enzo and stupid Damon didn't feed off people's fears and doubts.

(How could he hunt vampires if he couldn't even stake the ones in his backyard?)

Dawn had wisely avoided Damon and Enzo, instead assigning Jeremy and Meredith to other enemies. Last week, the Council had stumbled upon a scheme to create new Hellmouths across America - and one of them was in the next town over. So Meredith would travel with Jeremy to scope out the locals and prevent them from succeeding. Until then, Jeremy would decipher old journals and piece together the spells needed to reverse the portal. Since none of them knew magic, they'd hire a witch or wizard at Whitmore to aid them and hope for the best.

Without Bonnie, this took significantly longer. Connor had even suggested that Jeremy work on them at home.

One small problem: Jeremy never brought work home. Tyler and Matt would ask questions that Jeremy couldn't answer. They were (understandably) curious, but this was one burden he couldn't share with them. Some nights, he longed to come clean. They deserved to know. They had accepted his mood swings and his dedication to work with open arms.

They also would tell Elena the truth, and Jeremy couldn't afford a wrathful sister. Elena would storm into his room and demand information on the Watchers' Council. She would compel him, even. She wasn't above "petty" mind control. Connor had even wondered once if she still had a soul. (Jeremy didn't want to know the answer.)

He didn't, because it would mean acknowledging the shadow that had become his sister. It would mean questioning her existence. It would mean so, so many things Jeremy had denied for the past year. Confronting all of his fears would take courage. Courage he couldn't spare, when he was staking soulless vampires every other weekend.

So he instead compartmentalized his life, ebbing out separate spheres for work, school, and home. His priorities shifted depending on the space he occupied. At home, he played dumb and drunk when trouble knocked on his front door. At school, he never acknowledged the supernatural and ebbed out a quiet life with the artsy kids. At work, he pledged his loyalty to Meredith and Connor, bending over backwards to assist them.

In the back of Round Robin - Meredith's family's store - they would train, while Jeremy studied on the latest species to attack Mystic Falls High. The students easily bought lies over the truth there. Jeremy couldn't blame them.

They even believed that he had fallen into "legally dead" coma for four months, rather than the truth, because no one wanted to acknowledge the Other Side. The truth would burden them, just as it would burden Jeremy's loved ones. It would scar them too, adding to the invisible tattoo that once stretched across his entire arm and the invisible iron anvils that pushed his shoulders down.

"You look tired," Meredith had commented this particular evening, in-between shooting arrows at her bullseye. "You sure you don't want to go home?"

"I haven't stayed long enough," Jeremy had called back, resting his head on his schoolbooks. "Plus you haven't started on your practice SAT."

Meredith had scrunched up her whole face at him, before she turned and hit the mark. "Do people really think you're my SAT tutor?"

If they didn't, they never told him. Matt and Tyler had given him skeptical looks, sure, and even Damon had laughed in his face - but they hadn't questioned his story. (Jeremy suspected they were too engrossed in themselves to ask.) So after they had finished one practice test, Jeremy had headed home, with Connor's old grimoires tucked under his arm.

As he entered the back door, Matt was stir-frying chicken in the kitchen. "Hey," Matt called, glancing up at Jeremy. "You planning on some light reading?"

"Something like that." Jeremy had smiled thinly, retreating to the Lockwood study with the books and some snacks to tide him over.

Matt had whistled softly, returning to his cooking and murmuring, "When exactly did you turn into a bonafide nerd again?"

Since he became a Watcher? This nerd was also paying for groceries, Jeremy wanted to remind Matt. His light reading would also lead him to the famed Celestial witches' coven, and hopefully the runes that would create the next Hellmouth. Sure, the reading didn't mesh with Jeremy's tastes. He would've rather read comic books. But Connor and Dawn had asked him, and he would leap to the stars if they so wanted. It was his duty as Meredith's Watcher.

When he had officially joined the Council, Dawn hadn't given him an oath to swear. "That seems pretentious," she had said, wrinkling her nose at him. "We want to protect our girls. As long as we've got that drive and that spirit, I think that's all we really need."

That spirit wouldn't protect him from his friends' wrath. It never protected him from Damon or Enzo either.

He had to grin and bear it and hope that one day, Meredith's powers would force their entire team to move to another part of the United States. (California was nice this time of year, right?)

In the meantime, he did have other non-vampire business to settle. So he pulled out his phone, lingering over the touchscreen keyboard, before he sent Bonnie a text:

_**We need to talk.**_

Watchers didn't have time for girlfriends. Barring Connor and Dawn, nearly everyone was engrossed in their work. Jeremy couldn't juggle school, the council, _and_ a steady girlfriend. Something had to go, and it wasn't his future. Besides, Bonnie was already blazing a path with Ph.D.'s and fancy titles and theses to defend. It didn't neatly align with Jeremy's thesis on the supernatural, nor did it align with the years of training he would endure.

She was running far, far faster than he could hold on. They rarely confided in each other too. (Was it him? Was she still mad over Anna?) Sure, they kissed and fooled around and even slept together, but there wasn't a solid foundation. Their kisses masked shaky ground that could implode at any second - and Jeremy couldn't pretend that they weren't sinking into some invisible abyss for much longer.

They were no Damon and Elena. They couldn't kiss and make-up and pretend that they would remain together forever. Jeremy could easily recall her soft touch, bit by bit as she slid her hands into the small of his back - and yet, he couldn't recall the last _real_ secret they shared. He had told her about the Council. He had told her about Meredith. She even knew about Connor!

Except she didn't know about the remnants of the Celestial coven in the next town, or about the spells Jeremy had been deciphering for the past few weeks. Pain engulfed her constantly, removing her desire to remain among the plane of the living. Jeremy could ease the dead - but only after they passed her (tenuous) threshold.

Anxiously, he awaited her answer. Would she agree? Should he bother to drive the three hours to Whitmore?

After what felt like eternity, she responded with:

_I know. Meet me this Saturday at the coffee shop, after your lunch with Connor? :)_

After an uneventful lunch and debriefing with Connor, Jeremy headed to Whitmore's main coffee shop. He hadn't openly said so, but her expectant tone - and her emoticon - had rattled his bones. Connor had even noticed, and that man was usually overwhelmed with Dawn's wedding plans.

"Just be honest with her," Connor had said, in-between sips of coffee. "You want to end things on a good note with her, right?"

He did. A foolish man would repeat his mistakes and evade the truth when it mattered most. He would also avoid his girlfriend, instead forcing her to dump him. His legs started to shake when he saw the store's familiar logo and the yellow awning above its glass door.

Bonnie was waiting underneath that awning, with her bright yellow phone in her arms. Her smile stretched across her entire face as she fiddled with its controls.

Jeremy inhaled sharply. Now or never, Gilbert - be a man, he repeated silently to himself as he approached her. Be a man and end things neatly, in person, like Dad would have done. He called, "Bonnie?"

She perked up at the sound of her name. "Jeremy?" Then their eyes met, and Jeremy swore, he was fifteen all over again, with a stupid crush on a girl that was completely out of his league. "Hey! It's so good to see you."

"You too," he said weakly, resisting the urge to embrace her and forget his promise. "Uh, do you... do you wanna get..."

She tilted her head at him ever-so-slightly. "Sure. What's got your tongue all twisted?"

He ducked his head, avoiding her gaze as he walked inside with her. "I wanted to talk about us."

"About how you think we should break up, right?"

Huh? He stared at her blankly, but Bonnie had already turned her attention towards the menu. "I'm not stupid, Jer. I figured this was gonna happen, ever since you started spending more time with Mer... but tell me, it's not..."

"No. Of course not." This time, Jeremy easily made eye contact with her. "I wouldn't do that to you." _Again._

Relief washed over Bonnie's face as they stepped up to the counter and ordered their usuals. While they waited for their beverages, Bonnie brushed her bangs out of her face. (Her shorter hair suited her, Jeremy realized.) "I hoped not. So, why exactly do you want to end things if it's not about her?"

"I might be going to England next year." He might as well rip off the band-aid while he was at it. Jeremy said, quickly, "I've seen enough TV to know that long-distance relationships are a struggle, and with our history... I don't think it's such a smart idea."

Her expression turned thoughtful as she grabbed their drinks and ushered them to one of the corner booths. "That's it? The distance?"

"Yeah." His throat grew dry, if only because there was more to the equation. "Well, distance and... our paths, Bonnie. I can't support your fifty million Ph.D.'s in Anthropology or Sociology or whatever you're going to pursue, because you _are_ and you're going to kick ass at all of them."

She furrowed her brow, intently staring down at her mug and stirring in an extra spoonful of sugar. "Our... paths?"

"I've decided to join the Council after I graduate high school. Full-time." Jeremy lowered his head so that he could see her better. "You said it yourself, Bonnie. It's my life... and I want it to be this way."

"So you don't think a Watcher can stay with an Anchor." She giggled, stifling the faint imitation of a smile as she wiggled her eyebrows at him. "I see how it is."

"Hey, you were the one that _wanted_ me to join them, might I remind you." He leaned on the table, scrunching up his whole face at her.

Bonnie dismissed him with a slight wave. "Of course I did. The Council suits you, Jer. I haven't seen you this happy since your... since forever."

Since his parents died. She wouldn't say the thought that remained on the edge of their lips. Ever since Mom and Dad had left him, Jeremy hadn't healed the gaping wound in his heart. He doubted he ever would. They would always remain on the edge of his mind, shaping him consciously and unconsciously.

Before he could protest, Bonnie added, "Which is exactly why I agree that we should break up."

"Huh?" He blinked back surprise. "You-you do?"

She rolled her eyes, reaching over to grab his pastry and break off a piece. "Of course. We're heading on different paths, and we're gonna be long distance... If we still miss each other like crazy, then we'll rekindle what we started."

"What if we don't? Will we still be friends?"

Bonnie leaned forward, resting her hands underneath her chin as the spark in her eyes fizzled. His doubts must've been contagious, because she said softly, "Y-yeah, we will. Death never stopped us, right?"

Jeremy snorted, despite his best attempts to stifle it. "Sure didn't."

She smiled, this time less genuinely, as she sipped her tea. "Then we're friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

His heart twisted. Somehow, he hadn't imagined them cutting ties so smoothly. He had imagined something far more dramatic, with passionate pleas and tears streaming down their faces - and then nothing had happened. They were sitting in the corner of a store, chatting about life as if they were always friends, rather than former boyfriend and girlfriend.

This unsettled Jeremy far more than any drama would. "Hey, Bonnie?"

She tilted her head. "What's up?"

"Have you met any other witches or warlocks yet?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "Just the Parker twins. Luke and Liv? I don't know if you've met them yet."

He blinked back surprise. Finding a witch to tackle the coven would be far, far easier than he thought. "Have they... you know?"

"Yeah, they've been good people." Bonnie sounded almost amused as she leaned over and flicked his nose. "I swear, Jeremy, you worry too much."

He grinned widely back at her as they rose to their feet and left the coffee shop. "Yeah, well... what are friends for?" (Besides, you know, inadvertently helping him with a longstanding obstacle in fighting the supernatural.)

"Your logic is incorrigible."

Jeremy could have kissed her again. He could have, but that's when it hit him - he had always loved her. He just wasn't _in_ love with the amazing, kickass, kindhearted Bonnie Bennett.

He wasn't, and honestly, that was kind of okay with him.

* * *

><p>The other shoe would drop soon. Jeremy half-expected it any day now, because that break-up had been too easy. Bonnie should have resisted the idea more. She should have retaliated; she should have poked and prodded; and she should have questioned him further. But she didn't.<p>

Something bigger must've been bothering her. Mid-terms, maybe? Bonnie (and Stefan) studied and crammed more, while everyone else reached for alcohol and rolled-up joints.

Jeremy half-craved a joint, as he balanced the thick grimoire in his lap and his spiral notebook in his arms. Grimoires were easy to read, once Jeremy puzzled the various quirks of their owners' handwriting. Some people wrote f in place of s, while others blurred the line between d and cl. They even curled their letters differently depending on their mood. His inner artist yearned to later replicate their styles, once he uncovered the incantations necessary to re-create Hellmouth runes.

He would've never imagined that his talent would aid him in fighting the supernatural. As he deftly replicated various witches' handiwork - each with their own stylized circles and family sigils - he could feel his Slayer and Senior Watcher staring at him.

"Holy shit," Connor said, whistling softly as he returned to his own work. "You're talented."

Meredith nodded in agreement as she peered over Jeremy's shoulder. "No kidding. That's incredible, _hermano._"

(That meant... brother, right? Jeremy was barely passing Spanish.)

"Thanks, guys." Jeremy couldn't fight the smile on his face as he turned the page and continued to sketch.

Meredith rested her head on his shoulder as she hugged him from behind. "You said you were going to art school, right? Have you heard back from anywhere yet?"

"SCAD and RISD both wanted me. Not sure about the rest."

He had applied to all the major art schools in America - RISD, SCAD, CalArts, MICA, and even USC. Sure, Dawn had squealed about Oxford, but that was way before he had been assigned to Meredith. Meredith would determine his school, not his scholarship money.

Connor gave him a sympathetic look. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Actually, speaking of bridges... I think that's where the coven's going to unleash the Hellmouth." Jeremy held up his sketch. "This rune, right here? It means water, but then that one means wood and..."

"And it would work best on a river." Connor nodded. "The nearest one would be Wickery Bridge."

Wickery Bridge, where his parents died. Go figure. No matter how much he tried to run, the past kept flinging itself back into his face. Jeremy carefully closed the grimoire as he handed the notebook back to Connor. "So what're we waiting for? Let's grab our witch and get going."

At this time of night, the bridge was mostly empty. Save for their SUV, no one was on the road. Connor parked the car just before the mouth of the bridge; Meredith climbed out immediately to survey the area.

Jeremy turned to face Luke. "You know the drill, right?"

"Find the last Celestial coven witches, prevent them from casting the spell..." Luke rolled his eyes, holding up Jeremy's notebook. "I've got it under control. But I've gotta ask, any reason you wanted _me_? You could've easily called my sister."

"Your sister's also into my roommate," Jeremy pointed out. "And right now, Tyler doesn't know anything about this."

"Do any of them?"

Jeremy let his silence speak for him as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

Luke shook his head in amusement. "Wow, you're really going out of your way to hide this."

"Tell me about it," Jeremy said with a sigh, grabbing his crossbow and tossing an extra stake to Luke. While Luke wasn't his first choice for a witch take-down, he would trust this guy further than Liv any day. "They wouldn't agree with the Council, and I'd rather not fight them if I can help it."

"Your friendship's more important." Luke looked almost wistful as he held out his hand and generated a small fire to light their way. "I get you."

Jeremy smiled gratefully. "Thanks. For that, and for helping us out."

"Anytime. I can't believe the Celestial Coven's still active, after all this time. I thought my dad wiped them out in the 80's."

Luke's father must've been powerful if he singlehandedly decimated an entire coven. Jeremy made a mental note to never piss the guy off - because the last time he was on the wrong end of a witch's magic, shit hit the fan. Hard.

As they continued to walk, Jeremy had to ask, "So Liv said you were brought to town to stop the Travelers. You think they've got anything to do with the Hellmouth?"

"Not really." Luke kept his focus on the road, scanning the area for unusual activity. "The Travelers want to break their own curse, but a Hellmouth would..."

A Hellmouth could weaken their curse. Technically, Hellmouths were portals between Earth and Hell, but they were also hotbeds of spiritual activity, attracting anything with otherworldly instincts. While the Travelers and witches hated each other, they could theoretically form a truce to mutually benefit their individual agendas. The Travelers would break their curse, while the Celestial coven would acquire a permanent source of magical energy.

Jeremy cursed underneath his breath. "So they could've conspired with the last of this coven."

"Which would explain why they're so interested in these runes," Luke added, furrowing his brow. "Kinda glad you asked me, and not my sister, right now."

Connor caught up to them, his hand rested on the edge of his saber. "We're not interested in killing them, remember. We're not soulless."

"Good to know, Dad." Jeremy rolled his eyes. "We'll get them."

"Hell yeah we will!" Meredith's voice called from up ahead. "We're gonna kick their butts in time for my favorite show too."

Luke shared knowing glances with Jeremy and Connor before they raced to keep even pace with her.

"This isn't your favorite show, Mere!" Jeremy protested. "It's not a neat sitcom that finishes in forty-two minutes every week..."

A fire burned brightly in the distance, reflecting off the water's edge and brilliantly illuminating their way to newly-drawn runes in the dirt. Jeremy didn't hesitate twice before launching an arrow and jumping headfirst into the fray.

Sure, Connor said they wouldn't kill the coven - but who said anything about playing a little with them?

* * *

><p>One by one, the witches fell to Meredith's fists, Connor's sword, Luke's telekinesis, and Jeremy's arrows. The last witch standing - a tall, elderly witch with a spindly figure - held a confident smile as she regarded Jeremy.<p>

"You're too late. Those Travelers are going to succeed, and undo all spirit magic along with them."

Jeremy had to have heard her wrong. He had to, because no spirit magic meant no other side, and no Other Side meant no Bonnie. He lunged for her, shaking her shoulders violently. "What did you say?"

The smug witch grinned. "You heard me. The Travelers found another way to undo spirit magic, and your girlfriend's gonna go down with them." (Okay, so Bonnie wasn't technically his girlfriend anymore, but Jeremy couldn't blame the grapevine for being so slow.)

"Jeremy!" Connor seized his arms, pulling him back just as Luke performed some kind of spell and bound the elder to the ground with vines. "Jeremy, don't you _dare_-"

"She said Bonnie's gonna die," Jeremy said breathlessly, struggling against Connor's iron grip. "Bonnie's gonna die, and it'll be my fault."

"No it won't, because the Other Side's not going to collapse," Luke said evenly, extending his arm to strengthen the spell. "I swear my life on it."

Jeremy raised his chin defiantly, his eyes narrowing as he stared back at Luke. "You mean it?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." Luke released the vines, just as the coven leader lost consciousness altogether. "Mere, we've got her."

Meredith nodded, rushing forward and scooping the coven leader into her arms. "So we just drop her off with Willow, right?"

"Yeah. I'll take her over after I get the rest of you home," said Connor as he turned back to the other side of the bridge. "Good job, everyone."

Even with Luke's word, Jeremy couldn't ease the gnawing ache in his heart. If the Travelers found another method to undo spirit magic, then they certainly didn't need the aid of the Celestial coven anymore.

As they walked back to the car, Luke gently placed his hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "Hey."

"I know, you're trying to make me feel better." Jeremy glanced over his shoulder at him. "It's okay. I just... I didn't want to get further involved, and now look. The Council's gonna have to get involved if they're trying to undo all spirit magic."

"You let me and Liv handle that bit." Luke pressed his lips together. "That's why we came to Mystic Falls in the first place. You keep doing what you've been doing."

This reassurance didn't lighten his burdens. If anything, it added to the anvils weighing him down. He had tried (so bitterly hard) to avoid intersecting council work with home, only for them to collide at the worst possible moment.

Maybe the Celestials were lying. Maybe the Travelers could break their damn curse without burdening Bonnie further. Jeremy didn't really believe in God anymore, but he could certainly pray to some deity - any that would answer him - and hope for the best. He had to, because what other choice did he have?

His work kept coming home, no matter what he did.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes **

With this chapter also comes the (final, true) ending of A Far Better Place. Thanks to everyone who stuck around this story for a whole year! Reviews, favs, and follows did not go unnoticed, and I'm grateful to the support I received thus far.

As always, please let me know if you enjoyed this fic with a review so that I know what you liked (and what you may have not liked)! I hope you enjoy the finale, because I certainly enjoyed writing this.

* * *

><p>The Other Side will collapse, and his ex-girlfriend along with it.<p>

What a welcoming way to end his high school career. The coven's warning echoed with every breath, every step, and every motion he made. He could ebb out a quiet existence - one that looked like a damn luxury if Bonnie couldn't share it with him - or he could fight the doomed prophecy to the bitter end.

He dove headfirst into the Watchers' Council's cold cases, drowning himself in skyrocketing paperwork as he and Meredith blazed a path to clear each and every one of them. Surprisingly, neither Damon nor Enzo were involved in the demons roaming free - these agents acted of their own free will, rather than collaborating with Jeremy's living nightmares.

Figures that his struggles would rarely intersect with his friends'. These days, his loved ones were playing on a different chessboard. Katherine had temporarily possessed Elena; Damon and Elena had temporarily had a Ripper virus; and the Travelers were re-enacting _Invasion of the Bodysnatchers_. Worst of all, Liv kept flirting with him - and Bonnie wouldn't stop giving him the evil eye.

"I'm not even interested!" Jeremy protested, waving his arms wildly in the air as he marched after his ex-girlfriend. "Don't make me say it, Bonnie!"

Bonnie turned on her heels, folding her arms at him as she narrowed her eyes at Jeremy. "What? That we were on a break?"

Jeremy groaned, nearly running his hand down his face. "I'm not an idiot, Bonnie! I'm not dating Liv!"

Honestly, at this point, he would've taken the new Hellmouth. The witches were far less dramatic than his friends and family. While he had befriended the Parker twins, he allied himself with Luke. Liv only clung to him out of a desire to bed Tyler - and frankly, Jeremy wasn't interested in playing matchmaker. Those two were old enough to figure this romance stuff out.

Thankfully, the supernatural had recently ceased to interfere with his school life. From the blissful hours of 8 AM to 3 PM every Monday to Friday, he had earned peace of mind as he traveled across the vast school halls. He could interact with other students without the nagging opinions in the back of his mind. Vampires, witches, werewolves, Slayers, and even spirit mediums had called a truce, all in the name of acquiring a proper education.

Jeremy and Meredith even hosted homework parties, where their friends would quiz everyone on various concepts and reward each other with candy and non-spiked soda. It was the perfect set-up, and frankly, the perfect life for a few hours.

Not only would he actually graduate, but he would graduate with a high enough GPA to attend any major art school.

Bonnie, however, was strangely distant for someone who had repeatedly accused him of cheating on her. (Weren't they no longer dating...?) She would shrug at him, clearly judging his life choices without commenting on them.

He wasn't dating Liv. He wasn't, because if he had to pick a twin, he would pick Luke, and he wasn't even bi. While Liv had chased after Bonnie to reassure her (because Liv liked _Tyler_, not Jeremy), Luke had remained behind to help Jeremy with Traveler research.

Amongst the room's stark silence, Luke's suggestive eyebrows and slight smirks were louder than Bonnie's echoing footsteps. "What's got her all huffy?"

Jeremy glared at Luke. "Don't go there."

"That's what she said..."

Jeremy almost hit Luke with the nearest grimoire. Almost, because Luke side-stepped it at the last possible moment.

Luke shrugged. "Maybe it's her time of the month."

"Doubt it. She's kinda dead." (Did dead people even have periods? Scratch that, why was he even interested?) The Anchor didn't exist in either reality, instead cautiously floating between the realms of the living and the dead. She alone balanced these dimensions - as long as the Other Side existed, she would endure pain far beyond any mortal's imagination.

Still didn't explain her behavior.

"Do you think..." Jeremy couldn't voice it without acknowledging his innermost fears. He swallowed his own saliva, instead asking, "Do you think Bonnie's worried too?"

"Probably. The Travelers have consistently been one step ahead of us." Luke folded his arms. "I know you've been helping, but we could use the big guns too."

"And risk Elena killing Connor? No thanks."

Luke grimaced. "Ah, yeah, killing your mentor would be _no bueno._"

If Meredith were here, she would've smacked them for reckless use of the Spanish language. Jeremy laughed at the mental image, half-wishing his baby Slayer could've joined them for an impromptu research session. As it was, the other covens had fallen one by one with the passing of the Celestial coven. You decimate one coven, and the rest toppled over like dominoes. Meredith's and Connor's presence ensured that the US would suffer no more from new hotbeds of magical activity.

"Just a bit," Jeremy teased, reaching in his pocket for his car keys. "Keep me updated, alright? We're gonna need all the help we can get if this thing blows up."

* * *

><p>Thankfully, Bonnie had also opted to keep him in the loop. Ever since the Travelers had inadvertently <em>succeeded<em> in creating a magic-free Mystic Falls, the townspeople could breathe easy.

For the first time in his life, everyone acknowledged the supernatural. Students would idly chatter about the vampire attack that had killed Coach Tanner years ago, just as they wondered if Jeremy still saw dead people. (Unfortunately, yes, yes he did.) His teachers even lamented Jeremy's death, rushing to hug him and promising that they had believed him the whole time. (This had to be a parallel dimension. It had to be, because he wasn't used to this sudden affection.)

The principal had even offered a letter of apology, admitting that fear had prevented him from acknowledging Jeremy's every struggle. As graduation approached, Jeremy was even asked to draft up a short speech at one of their various ceremonies.

"We no longer fear what we do not know," His English teacher had mysteriously said, when he waved the envelope in her face. "I'm not surprised they asked you to speak up."

"Yeah, but..." Jeremy pressed his lips together. "My family can't attend my graduation."

If Elena stepped forward, she would drown. Caroline would suffocate to death, and even Bonnie would cease to appear before his eyes. (Damon could get shot again, for all Jeremy cared.)

His teacher had fallen silent, her sympathetic gaze remaining on Jeremy as she bowed her head. "I guess not, then."

Even Meredith started to suffer headaches every time she crossed the town border. After school, they instead trained at the edge of town, where Meredith's strength had fully recovered. Some afternoons, she would dare to step one foot across that imaginary line.

"I can handle it," she insisted, gritting her teeth until Jeremy inevitably pulled her back. "No, really, I'm good."

"Yeah, you're just powerless."

Unlike vampires who died upon crossing the border, Slayers like Meredith and half-vampires like Connor lost their magical edge. Magical energy no longer pulsed within its borders, and so the people no longer fretted about the magical creatures that had once threatened to kill them. (Jeremy also no longer saw dead people - which was the biggest relief in his short eighteen years of life.) Their piece of mind eased Jeremy - and technically, the magical border wasn't his problem.

The significant death toll, on the other hand, was. Jeremy couldn't handle the loss of nearly everyone he loved, no matter how ridiculous their deaths had been. Stefan had drifted to the Other Side, just as Tyler had - and okay, he was completely fine with Enzo dying. Enzo could deal with being an eternal corpse.

Damon had shared his plans with Jeremy and Matt, and later, Bonnie called him over the phone to work the final details out. "I should go with you," Jeremy had found himself insisting, even though he knew better. "You don't have to do this alone."

"Yeah, well... you need to go be a younger, hotter Bruce Willis, and if I take one step into Mystic Falls, good-bye magic, good-bye anchor, good-bye me."

Jeremy internally groaned. "At least tell me how this works."

Bonnie quickly re-iterated the basics of her plan (where Jeremy and Matt would disable the Grill's gas lines for Damon), along with the spell Jeremy needed to dispel. As usual, she refused to divulge details of how she ceased to be the Anchor - and no matter how he prodded, she clammed up tighter than an oyster.

The second she hung up, Meredith rushed to embrace him. "Hey - it's okay. We've got this."

A Slayer had no place re-instating a magical status quo in a town like Mystic Falls, so Jeremy had insisted on leaving her out of the plan. Even then, his rattling anxiety told him otherwise. Even the best plans were occasionally doomed to fail.

* * *

><p>As he had promised, he and Matt would disable the main gas lines of the Grill. While Jeremy no longer worked there, he was unwaveringly loyal to the place that had given him his first job.<p>

Matt had cracked a grin at him, right as they entered the tunnels that led to the main gas line. "Can we talk about the irony in blowing up the place dumb enough to hire us?"

"My work says they'll chip in to renovate it, if we succeed," Jeremy said absentmindedly, holding up a flashlight as they moved forward. Dawn had mentioned that the Council had enough funds to renovate several buildings, if so needed - though Jeremy had to wonder, where was the Council acquiring all their money? It couldn't be through legitimate means.

"Yeah, that's... actually what I wanted to talk to you about. You've been working for some big supernatural force, right? I saw those grimoires, Jeremy. You've been working on something big with Meredith Sulez and Luke and Caroline's philosophy professor." Matt's expression darkened as he stepped forward. "Why were you hiding that from us?"

Jeremy's throat tightened. "I didn't want to worry you. But, uh, I also didn't want Elena and Damon attacking the Watchers' Council."

"The... Watchers' Council?" Matt's ire had given way to confusion. "The hell are they?"

"They're this international group that kills vampires." Jeremy paused. "Or they supervise vampires, at least. I'm a Watcher, or someone that surveys supernatural activity in towns like this."

"Is Meredith a Watcher too?"

"Nah, she's a Slayer. Those are the girls destined to kill demons and vampires and crap."

Matt looked almost thoughtful as he peered up at the pipes near them, then at the map Damon had provided them. "So... once we get this job done, and you graduate high school, are you going to move? To go supervise vampires in another town?"

Jeremy shrugged. "Maybe. It depends on where they place me."

To his surprise, Matt patted Jeremy's shoulder. "That's awesome, man. Congrats on your new job."

"You mean it?" Jeremy glanced back at him, holding up a flashlight to the pipes to confirm Matt's suspicion. "I kinda feel like I'm getting revenge on my old boss with this."

"If he ever finds out, we'll both be fired," Matt said with a slight grin. "Looks like we've found them, so all we have to do is wait."

Jeremy nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"You had your reasons. Just promise me you're not going to fight them head-on? I kinda like you being alive."

"Hey! Mere's the one fighting them, not me." Jeremy nearly elbowed Matt. "I mainly make sure she has the tools and stuff to win."

A few months ago, Jeremy had expected the truth to burden Matt. Matt would have turned tail and ran back to Elena and Tyler. Matt wouldn't keep this secret in his heart, and Matt certainly wouldn't have supported him.

"Good. I don't want you dying on me again," Matt teased, pulling Jeremy into a sideways hug. "So why'd you wait so long to tell me?"

Jeremy sheepishly shrugged.

"I could've kept your secret too. Man, you underestimate me too much."

Jeremy really had. Some days, he wondered how he lucked out with such an understanding best friend - and he wondered how he could've ever thought to hide his deepest secrets from him. Matt deserved far more from him than this.

* * *

><p>At seven o'clock sharp, they turned the gas lines on and rushed back to their designated spots.<p>

Still no phone call from Bonnie.

* * *

><p>Just when Jeremy had given up hope, Bonnie had called him over the phone. Her voice was unsteady, wavering with every syllable she uttered. "I'm so sorry, Jeremy - I lied. There was never any way for me to stop being the anchor. When the other side goes, I go with it."<p>

No fucking wonder. No wonder she had easily agreed to breaking up with him. In hindsight, he should have guessed that her acceptance (and subsequent green-eyed monsters) were larger signs of a problem larger than their silly high-school-esque relationship.

Y-you told me you could come back," Jeremy responded, clutching the phone against his ear.

"If I told you the truth, it would have changed our last days together and I didn't want it to change."

"What, you mean you wanted me to move on?"

"You would've been _happy_. I... I wouldn't have been another lost Lenore."

"You could've told me, Bonnie!" So he had suffered one too many dead girlfriends. It was the inevitable Jeremy curse. It was also something that - strangely enough - he hadn't minded, because death was the only thing splitting them apart. "You could've been upfront and honest and..."

She hiccuped. "But... we haven't been lately."

"No, we hadn't." He grew quiet, recalling just about every instance where they omitted the truth from each other. "I'm sorry, Bonnie. I love you."

"I know you do. I love you too."

The phone hung up abruptly. His heart sank into an abyss even as Matt returned to announce that the main gas lines were off. Jeremy ignored his best friend, instead rushing into the woods, because Bonnie had promised she would be by the cemetery. "BONNIE!"

He wasn't in love with her. They weren't in love with each other, and Jeremy doubted he would ever fall in love with her again. No, he loved her _with_ his entire heart - and just like Vicki, just like Anna, she was slipping through his fingers before he said good-bye.

He didn't know how long he ran through those woods. He ran and ran until his legs inevitably collapsed upon him, and the entire world went black.

* * *

><p>When he woke, Alaric was hovering protectively over him.<p>

"You okay?" Alaric reached over, feeling Jeremy's forehead. "You were out for quite a while."

Wait - Alaric's hand was no longer going through Jeremy's. Alaric was in the realm of the living again? Jeremy sat up, nearly causing his step-uncle to fall over.

"How are you here?"

"I passed through Bonnie." Alaric's expression grew grateful as he sat at the foot of Jeremy's bed. "I'm... sorry I couldn't watch over you better, kiddo."

Speaking of Bonnie... Jeremy furrowed his brow. "Where is she? Where's Bonnie?"

Alaric pressed his lips together. "The... the Other Side collapsed, Jer."

Just like the leader of the Celestial coven said it would. It collapsed, and he couldn't do a damn thing to prevent its inevitable destruction. Jeremy pressed against the bridge of his nose, struggling to rein in his anger.

"She can't be gone."

"No, I don't think so either," Connor's voice called from the doorway. He entered with a bowl of chicken noodle soup, carefully placing it on Jeremy's bedside table. "Willow thinks that she and Damon may have entered another dimension."

Alaric turned to glance at Connor. "It's certainly a possibility. How exactly does Willow know, again?" (Magical energy went boom? Willow was crazy good at sensing magical auras that everyone else had failed to notice.)

"She doesn't. It's a hunch, but it's better than assuming otherwise."

Jeremy reached for a spoon and focused intently on slurping down every last noodle inside his bowl. He was ravenous - far hungrier than he thought he was - and yet, eating was easier than thinking. His brain was starting to hurt at all these possibilities. Bonnie _and_ Damon had failed to reappear?

Scratch that, they had disappeared together? Stefan was alive, Tyler was alive, Elena was alive, and they couldn't grab hold of Damon? The group's priorities must have shifted too far.

More importantly, Connor and Alaric were getting along far too well for total strangers. Jeremy looked up at them. "Wait, do you two know each other? Like before I collapsed?"

"Not really," Alaric admitted, his gaze shifting from Connor and onto Jeremy. "I knew of Connor, because I'd been watching over you, but we hadn't formally met until I crossed the threshold."

That explained everything and yet nothing at the same time.

"Your step-uncle is scary overprotective," Connor added, giving Alaric a bemused look. "I thought your friend Tyler was bad? Ric here takes the cake."

Ric beamed proudly. "I try."

Jeremy wanted to toss pillows at both of them. Instead, he settled for setting down his empty bowl of soup on the bedside table. "Thanks, by the way. I passed out in the woods, didn't I?"

"You were calling her name for hours." Connor smiled sympathetically. "I guess you still had lingering feelings...?"

"Not really."

Alaric raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"I mean, I love her, right? But I'm not _in_ love with her." Jeremy stared down thoughtfully at the soup. "I want her to be safe, and I want to protect her, but I'm not the guy she'll marry some day."

Connor and Alaric exchanged bemused glances, just as Meredith peered through the doorway. Her long, black ponytail had since unraveled, and she had dark eyes under circles. They all did, now that Jeremy was looking at his motley group better. Sleep had evaded nearly every single one of them.

Quietly, Mere dared to ask, "_Gringo?_ You up?"

"Yeah, come on in, Mer." Jeremy grinned widely at her. "Sorry if I scared you."

She shook her head, stepping inside and rushing to hug him. "I'm just glad you're okay." After a few seconds of silence, she lightly nudged Connor. "Did you tell him?"

Jeremy blinked back surprise. "Tell me what?"

Connor rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, since you're graduating this weekend, and you never did declare a school... we were wondering if you'd like to pick our next city. Leave Mystic Falls behind, take your vampire sister along, and hit the road, so to speak."

Jeremy glanced over at Alaric. "You agreed to this?"

"Just for the summer," Alaric added. "Elena and I're heading back to Whitmore in the fall, but you and Connor and Dawn and Meredith're heading to DC. I heard a certain someone got into MICA?"

"Wait, seriously?" Jeremy couldn't wipe the grin off his face. So maybe he couldn't understand Elena anymore, but his sister had technically lost her boyfriend (again) and he had lost his ex-girlfriend, only to regain the uncle that they wished they had bonded better with. Alaric could tether them, and slowly, they could rebuild a family again. Even if the Gilberts could never enter Mystic Falls again.

"Why not?" Connor grinned, reaching for the tray so that he could take it back. "You deserve some semblance of a normal life, and we figure, this way, your family can come along for the ride."

"Connor and I thought it would be the best compromise, and hey, we've never actually _had_ big families, so..."

"Hakuna Matata?" Connor offered up weakly.

Jeremy didn't have to think twice. "Hakuna Matata," he agreed softly. "So why don't we do a cross-country road trip? Knock out some sights, fight nomadic vamps... and maybe stop in a city for a month or two before we have to split again."

"Sounds good to me." Alaric turned towards the door. "I'll go tell Elena."

"Yes!" Meredith pumped her fist. "So, what do you say, Jerbear? To our new adventure?"

He leaned in and ruffled her hair. "To new adventures and beyond."

* * *

><p>As a compromise to Jeremy, Mystic Falls High held its graduation outside town borders for the first time in its storied history. Elena, Caroline, Tyler, Matt – even Alaric, Connor, Luke, and Meredith proudly attended, cheering and hollering as the principal announced, "Jeremy Grayson Gilbert," through a tinned microphone.<p>

Jeremy didn't remember walking across the stage to receive his diploma, nor did he remember his sweaty palm as he shook his principal's and vice principal's hands. He barely remembered the first annual outdoors reception afterwards, where Stefan reached for his graduation cap and fiddled with its yellow and red cords.

"So you're really heading across the country," Stefan said softly, turning his gaze towards Elena and Caroline, who were comparing cookie sizes across the field.

Jeremy nodded. "Just for the summer. What about you? You're not sticking around, so I wondered…"

"I've got a car to repair," Stefan confessed, with a smile Jeremy hadn't seen on his face in almost a year. "I'll keep myself busy somehow. Do me a favor and keep an eye on her, alright?"

"As long as you'll actually answer her calls," Jeremy answered, reaching to take his cap back.

Elena rushed to hug him from behind, resting her head on Jeremy's shoulder as she offered up a diploma-shaped cookie. "This was the biggest we could find," she said apologetically.

Jeremy was tempted to push her off. Only tempted, because she was still significantly stronger than him, and without Damon's influence, she was… she was almost normal again. "Works for me," he said, accepting the cookie. "Looking forward to our road trip?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." She clung to him fiercely, ignoring Tyler's rolled eyes and Matt's grin and even Stefan's raised eyebrows. "Stef, promise me you'll at least text."

"Or what, you'll selfie bomb me? Again?"

"Worse: I'll send you my credit card bills."

"Len, you really need to stop online shopping," Stefan groaned, folding his arms and grabbing his own cup of punch. "You're the only one who's going to suffer with that credit report."

"Which is why I need you to stick around. Who else is gonna tell me that?"

"Uh, Alaric will," Jeremy pointed out, to absolutely no avail.

If this was the life that he had somehow fallen into – even if it was a life without Bonnie and Damon – then it was certainly the one he wanted most for himself. Traveling the country to uncover a spell to bring her home, to rediscover the family he had always loved, and maybe even to tour a country he had always known would indeed be the greatest adventure.

An entire world had opened up before his eyes, and to think – it had all started with one suspicious letter.


End file.
